The Social Mediation and Self-Help (SMASH) service delivers resilience and peer support work with young people who have poor social skills, difficulty controlling actions, anxiety, and mood and/or behaviour problems referred from participating schools (5 primary and 10 secondary schools). SMASH has been operating for 8 years in Hull and is now delivering a pilot across East Riding and Yorkshire. The programme aims to equip young people and their families with strategies and tools to self-manage socially and emotionally in everyday life and in stressful times, and to assist with promoting positive mental health and outcomes for now and in the future.
The Social Mediation and Self-Help (SMASH) service delivers resilience and peer support work with young people who have poor social skills, difficulty controlling actions, anxiety, and mood and/or behaviour problems referred from participating schools (5 primary and 10 secondary schools). SMASH has been operating for 8 years in Hull and is now delivering a pilot across East Riding and Yorkshire. The programme aims to equip young people and their families with strategies and tools to self-manage socially and emotionally in everyday life and in stressful times, and to assist with promoting positive mental health and outcomes for now and in the future.
Access
Children and young people aged 10-16 years are identified for the group using specific referral criteria and via detailed discussions with school staff, children and young people’s mental health services and other agencies. Children, young people, or their parents or carers can also self-refer via an identified person in their school or directly through the service. The group can act as an initial intervention, or can provide care while a child or young person is on a waiting list for children and young people mental health services, or as step-down following specialist interventions. Groups are run outside of a school setting but within the local area, ensuring delivery in a neutral location for children, young people and families, and encouraging collaborative working with the community.
Vulnerable populations
SMASH is specifically for children, young people and their families who have a lower level of overall emotional wellbeing due to social or environmental factors, and are at risk of developing mental health issues now or in the future. They typically work with children and young people who are known to social care, young carers, have special educational needs or disabilities, and those from families reluctant to engage with school or statutory agencies.
Interventions
The intervention is delivered in closed groups of up to 16 children and young people, using restorative practice, conflict resolution, elements of talking therapies and CBT. The core elements of the programme are self-esteem, empathy, relationships, sense of belonging, trust, responsibility and choices. The programme is delivered throughout the academic year, and covers a minimum of 12-18 consecutive school weeks. A trained SMASH practitioner delivers the programme, assisted by a teaching assistant, facilitating a joint approach and ensuring schools are actively involved with their student’s development. One to One Talking Therapy sessions are also part of the holistic package of change offered in addition to the group programme, and based on individual needs.
Support for families
Family outreach is embedded into the delivery of the SMASH programme, as families are supported in addressing issues around overall family wellbeing and resilience. An integral part of SMASH outreach is pathway setting and signposting to other agencies and organisations. This creates a holistic offer of support to assist sustainable changes around emotional resilience and mental wellbeing. In addition, it equips families and young people with the tools and skills to self-help now and in the future.
Co-production and participation
SMASH was originally developed through consultation with young people and their families, schools and external support organisations. This explored emotional resilience and mental health, and the impact of low resilience on a young person’s social, emotional, behavioural and academic ability to manage and succeed. It was identified that a programme that worked in a proactive and reactive way regarding emotional resilience to promote positive mental health was the next step. Co-production continues to be at the heart of programme development and has included group consultation and service review, as well as celebration events.
Use of outcome measures
The ‘MY STAR’ emotional resilience outcome tool is used in the programme to help children and young people record and visualise progress. Other outcomes such as school attendance are also used to monitor progress. Improved outcomes can be seen at a personal level, educational, family and life domains.
Why is this service an example of positive practice?
The SMASH programme works to bridge the gap that is often seen within young people and their families’ care, support and intervention around social, emotional resilience and mental health. The main priority for SMASH is to build strong, trusting relationships with the young people who have been referred, their families and all other professionals involved in their care. This way of working encourages all professionals and services to come together with the family to ensure a holistic support and intervention package is developed to meet the individual young person’s and their families’ emotional health and mental wellbeing needs. The programme’s main remit is to build emotional resilience within young people and their families that will see them thrive now and into adulthood.
Further details
Commissioning and funding
East Riding CCG
Head start Lottery Fund
Providers
Independent programme partnered with Humber Foundation Trust
Workforce (WTE)
1 manager (band 7)
trained SMASH practitioners (band 5)
Population size
Age
Age 10 to 16
Caseload
Over 6 months 384 children and young people were referred and seen, receiving an average of 16 contacts (12 group contacts and 4 1:1 contacts equating to 74 hours) over 12 – 18 weeks
Prevention and resilience – universal and early intervention for at risk
Access and advice – consultation lines, triage and signposting
