Vicky Meets Louise Watson, Assistant Head: Wellbeing, Bishop Luffa School

You are leading the Healing Classrooms Conference at Chichester Assembly Rooms on 12 October. Will you tell us what the conference is all about?

The Healing Classrooms programme, developed by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), focusses on helping young people whose lives have been affected by adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) develop to their full potential. It centres around a therapeutic approach to working with young people and guides those caring for and working with them towards understanding their needs from a perspective which many of us are lucky to have no knowledge of.

Why is a conference like this so important?

The needs of young people surrounding their mental health and wellbeing has risen dramatically over recent years. NHS statistics from July 2021 show that one in six children aged five to 16 were identified as having a probable mental health problem. In 2017, it was one in nine.

Every young person deserves - and needs - a champion. As a local community, we have countless ways in which we can become just that. Whether we work in education, youth work, Church, sports, or specialised support for mental health and wellbeing, there is still so much for us to learn about what young people need and how we can promote ways for them to live life in all its fullness.

When we were offered the opportunity to provide a conference of this calibre, with an organisation such as the IRC, we knew we couldn't miss it. The privilege of sharing this with other agencies, organisations and groups means that this has the capacity to impact the whole community, including those members of it who have become part of it due to factors beyond their control.

Is there a cost to attend?

The event is free to attend and, thanks to sponsorship from the fabulous team at Edward Cooke Family Law whose work keeps children and young people at the very core of all they do, we can now also offer lunch to everyone who attends! We hope to see as many people as possible there on the day. Anyone who works in supporting young people who would like to join us on 12 October at the Assembly Rooms in Chichester should email [email protected] for a link to sign up by 30 September. Signing up by this date also guarantees each guest a copy of the IRC's 120 page 'Healing Classrooms' handbook to take away.

Where can we find further information?

If you would like more information about The International Rescue Committee’s work with Healing Classrooms, please visit www.rescue.org/uk/irc-uks-healing-classrooms

The International Rescue Committee helps people affected by humanitarian crises —including the climate crisis — to survive, recover and rebuild their lives. Founded at the call of Albert Einstein in 1933, the IRC is now at work in over 40 crisis-affected countries as well as communities throughout Europe and the Americas. To find out more about the IRC and its work visit www.rescue.org/uk