Health Column - Support for Wigan parents this Children's Mental Health Week
Pictured: the Wigan Mental Health Support Team
This week (09 to 15 February 2026) is Children’s Mental Health Week. This year’s theme, “This is My Place”, focuses on helping children and young people develop a strong sense of belonging in their classrooms, playgrounds, and communities.
A sense of belonging is vital for mental wellbeing. We know that, when children and young people feel accepted and valued, they are more likely to thrive emotionally and academically.
As a parent or carer, we understand that there can be many concerns around the emotional wellbeing and mental health of your loved ones, especially children and young people.
Supporting your child in the best way possible is really important. But it can be challenging to know how to respond to their individual needs, whilst still allowing them to gain independence and build resilience.
If you are concerned about your child’s mental health and wellbeing, support is available.
The Wigan Mental Health Support Team (MHST), run by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH), works alongside schools, colleges, parents, carers and other health services in the Wigan Borough to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.
The team offers 1-2-1 and group sessions for children and young people who may be experiencing mental health problems, including low mood, anxiety, sleep problems or phobias.
We also offer support and advice to school and college staff, parents and carers, and we liaise directly with external specialist services, to make sure children and young people get the right support to stay well and thrive in education.
Come along to one of our free workshops for parents and carers
Since October 2024, we have delivered over eighty workshops offering parents and carers opportunities to learn more about children’s mental health, on subjects such as “Understanding Anxiety” and “Understanding Low Mood”.
These workshops, led by trained mental health practitioners, aim to equip parents with the skills, knowledge and confidence to support their child. They share information about common mental health problems, the symptoms, and how they can impact children and young people. They also offer effective support strategies to help manage the physical and mental feelings that their child may experience.
Based at local Family Hubs, the workshops are free of charge, and are delivered during the school holidays at varying times and dates, so parents and carers can attend at a time that is suitable to them.
One parent who recently attended a workshop said,
“The workshop was a refresher after a particularly challenging few months. Almost back to basics. I will revisit the emotions circle and feel more confident explaining to other family members what we had do to help my son”.
Another parent said,
“The enthusiasm and clarity with which the material was presented was extremely relevant and engaging!”
Next week, from 16 to 20 February, the Wigan MHST team will be delivering a number of workshops for parents and carers at the Family Hubs across the borough. These sessions will focus on “Stress and Perfectionism”, a common experience which can impact children and young people.
To sign up to an upcoming workshop, visit: www.eventbrite.com/o/wigan-mental-health-support-team-in-schools-71477241653 . Alternatively, information will be available at your child’s school, or you can email us directly on wiganmhst@gmmh.nhs.uk.
To find out more about Wigan MHST and the support on offer, visit www.gmmh.nhs.uk/wigan-mhst .
To find out more about all of our services for children and young people, visit: Child and Adolescent Mental Health or speak with your GP.
If you need urgent mental health support, for example if you feel mentally unsafe or severely distressed, you can quickly and easily access support by calling NHS 111 and selecting mental health option 2. It is for people of all ages, including children and young people, and you can call for yourself or someone else. It’s available 24/7 and is free of charge.
