Case study: Empowering student wellbeing – a testimonial from a grateful parent

In life, we encounter various challenges that test our resilience and determination. For students, navigating the complexities of academic pressures and personal struggles can be particularly daunting. Life can often throw unexpected curveballs our way and it might seem unbearable. It can be difficult to talk about these struggles with family and friends as we feel they might not understand or are ‘too close’.

Today, we share a touching testimonial from a parent who witnessed her daughter’s journey of strength in the face of adversity, thanks to the support from her school’s Wellbeing Lead.

Through this testimonial, we hope to shed light on the critical importance of student wellbeing support and the positive impact it can have on a student’s wellbeing and educational journey. Sometimes all we need is to have someone to talk to and a safe place to go – where we are welcomed with open arms, made feel accepted and provided with guidance, support and understanding.

Empowering young people towards a brighter future

At that time, I pulled on all resources available to support my daughter through obviously quite a stressful time in her life – One of which was the Wellbeing Hub at her school. Just having somewhere for a child to go to offload when there’s something so tricky going on at home is vital. I reached out to her Head of Year and made them aware of the seriousness of the situation and the impact it could have had, then allowed them to guide her in the right direction.

Children don’t find it easy to talk to just anybody and it’s not always easy to talk to those involved – as we found, it’s not always easy to talk even to your friends. For her to have somewhere else to go and be able to chat it through or just remove herself, ultimately just a quiet space, was so important.

I’m not sure whether she spoke to anyone, but just knowing that she could go there – has been invaluable, because children are certainly not going to seek out help. However, if it’s on your doorstep and at a place you go to every day, you can’t really put a price on that. Without the Wellbeing Hub, I’m not sure how I would have got my daughter through her exams and she actually did very well.

I would say to her, ‘You can go there, it is a safe place’ and I would just sort of remind her that, you know, you’re not on your own. There are people who you can talk to at the Wellbeing Hub We didn’t push those conversations – I think her just responding back by saying ‘Yes I know’ was enough. She said she couldn’t talk to her friends, because they just didn’t understand.

She’s now at university, but has told me since ‘I did go there a couple of times’. That’s it. I mean you can’t push that because, at the end of the day, you just want to know that they’re utilising the tools out there and not put them off. They are adults, they’ve got to make the right decision for themselves. All you can do as a parent is persuade them that it might be a good idea to go to talk to someone who might have a little bit more of an understanding or certainly be able to guide them a little bit better than we can, because they’re not emotionally involved in it.

Photos used in case studies are for representative purposes only.

We are here to help

Stories like this are the reason mdeducational foundation was created in the first place. Young people are struggling to find the support they need to take care of their wellbeing – and the crisis is only worsening. With a clear lack of research and support for students aged between 16-18, we see further education as a crucial area for improvement when it comes to supporting adolescents dealing with wellbeing challenges.

We need to start normalising psychological fitness and resilience through guidance and early intervention. Which is why our charity is stepping up to help.

If you’re an educational establishment within England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland or Ireland and need help supporting your students’ wellbeing – contact us today. We at mdeducational foundation are here to kickstart a long-term wellbeing commitment in your post-16 educational setting by providing salary funding to place a wellbeing professional into your establishment. We help 16-18 year-olds feel supported in every aspect of their wellbeing and make sure they have access to support they need without delay.

Learn more about our charity and get the process started by completing a short Expression of Interest form.