A new scheme is leading to fewer mental health referrals from students at Epsom and Ewell High School.

Surrey and Borders NHS Trust’s School Based Needs team has been working with teachers to support the wellbeing of students.

The team is part of the trust’s Mindworks Surrey service and works with schools across Surrey.

In the last quarter, only 2% of young people seen by clinicians were referred on for specialist or community mental health support.

2,158 consultations were delivered during the same period which is nearly double this time last year.

At a recent special event to showcase the partnership to health and education leaders, students spoke about how their lives had been transformed following the support they had received.

Clinicians from the trust’s School Based Needs team guide school staff on new approaches to improve inclusion and tackle stigma across the school.

They also provide staff with advice on how best to support individual students struggling with their emotional and mental well-being.

For those whose needs are more complex, the team can offer consultations with the child or young person and the family or carer and help them access more specialist support.

Epsom and Ewell High School Headmaster, James Newman, said: “We were so proud to be able to show that through collaboration and partnership working, together, we are making a huge impact on the lives of our young people and wider community.”

Senior health and education leaders who attended the showcase event praised the partnership. Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing and Public Health, Mark Nuti said: “A passionate headteacher and dedicated staff together with the MindWorks Surrey team have developed a culture of openness and compassion within the school where children feel comfortable talking and asking for help.”

Clare Curran, Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning, said: “We heard powerful testimony from students of the outstanding support and guidance that they had been given to help them to overcome challenges and to thrive in their future lives.”

Chair of NHS Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board, Ian Smith, said: “I was hugely impressed with the joint working between the Bourne Academy (and specifically Epsom and Ewell school) and Mindworks Surrey on mental health and student resilience.”