Why real person therapy matters in Leeds schools, colleges and universities, and how VÕS HELP can partner with you

The picture in Leeds and across England

Across England, the prevalence and impact of mental health difficulties in children and young people remain high. The NHS’s longitudinal Mental Health of Children and Young People in England study reports sustained need since 2017, informing services and schools on risks, service use, and support patterns.

Locally, the Leeds Joint Strategic Assessment 2024 highlights that while hospital admissions for mental health have fallen from a pandemic spike, common mental health problems among children and young people are rising, only around three in five Leeds pupils report feeling happy at least most days.

In higher education, the Office for Students notes rising disclosure of mental health conditions at entry, 4.5% of full time and 5.3% of part time entrants in 2021,22 reported a mental health condition to their institution, with higher rates among female students.

For school and college staff, workload and wellbeing pressures remain pronounced. The Department for Education’s Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders (Wave 3, 2024) provides the government’s latest survey overview of teacher workload, stress and retention challenges.

Why human to human support is still the backbone

NICE guidance for children and young people recommends evidence based psychological therapies delivered by trained practitioners within a stepped care model. This underscores the importance of real person clinical judgement, relational safety, and safeguarding. (NICE NG134, last reviewed 7 May 2024).

At system level, NHS Talking Therapies (the national programme for anxiety and depression) tracks outcomes like reliable improvement and reliable recovery. NHS reporting shows services working to national standards (for example, reliable recovery around the 48% standard in 2024,25 planning, with March 2025 performance above target), illustrating the effectiveness of guided, therapist delivered care.

What schools and colleges already have, and where the gaps are

NHS Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) now operate in thousands of schools and colleges, providing early intervention and whole school approaches. As of spring 2023, 398 teams covered around 6,800 settings and roughly 35% of pupils, with further expansion planned. This is a major step forward, but coverage and capacity are not yet universal.

In Leeds, education leaders continue to report significant need among pupils and pressure on staff. Local public health intelligence stresses the value of listening to children and young people directly and strengthening pathways between education and health.

The added value of real person therapy for three groups

Students (school, FE, HE):• A trusted adult relationship increases engagement, disclosure, and safety planning, particularly where risk may be dynamic. This aligns with NICE’s stepped care emphasis on appropriately delivered psychological therapies.• University entrants are increasingly disclosing mental health needs, timely, human led support reduces escalation, improves study continuity, and eases onward referral into NHS Talking Therapies where appropriate.

Teachers and support staff:• Staff wellbeing is linked to attendance, behaviour, and attainment. Government survey work shows persistent workload and stress challenges, reinforcing the need for confidential, human delivered support and supervision options for staff.

Parents and carers:• Parents often seek advice on helping a distressed child while navigating services. Real person guidance improves adherence to care plans, reduces crisis presentations, and supports home, school consistency, in line with national policy pushes for integrated support and early help.

How VÕS HELP complements Leeds schools, colleges and universities

VÕS HELP is a Leeds born, human led mental wellbeing service designed to work with existing school and NHS pathways, not replace them.

1) Fast access to a humanStudents, staff and parents can speak to a trained person quickly, with onward signposting to school MHSTs, safeguarding leads, or NHS services as needed. This complements the MHST early intervention model and helps during high demand periods. (NHS MHST coverage context).

2) Evidence aligned practiceWe use NICE informed approaches for low to moderate need presentations and escalate appropriately. Real person judgement ensures suitability, risk checks, and warm transfers to NHS Talking Therapies or urgent routes when indicated. (NICE NG134, NHS Talking Therapies outcomes framework).

3) Built for the Leeds contextLocal data show ongoing mental health need among children and young people in the city, we align to Leeds’ public health priorities and work with schools on agreed protocols, hours, and referral criteria.

4) Whole community offer• Students: rapid listening support, coping skills, and safe onward referral.• Teachers and staff: confidential 1:1 sessions for stress, boundaries, and reflective space that signpost to occupational health or NHS routes when needed. (DfE workforce context).• Parents and carers: practical, compassionate guidance to support their child and coordinate with the school.

5) Practical integration options for your setting

• A named VÕS HELP liaison for your safeguarding and pastoral teams.

• Agreed scripts and QR codes for students and parents, with session summaries routed (with consent) to the appropriate in school lead.

• Opt in staff support blocks during high pressure periods (exams, inspections, results).

• Data protection by design, transparent consent, minimal data, and secure records aligned to your policies.

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6) Affordability and clarityOur model offers low cost, human led sessions designed to add capacity around your existing MHST and pastoral provision, so more people get timely support in Leeds when they actually need it. (Service model information from VÕS HELP.)

What this means for Leeds

• For students: faster access to a real person improves engagement, reinforces safeguarding, and supports study continuity. (NICE stepped care, OfS trend data).

• For staff: confidential, human support linked to school systems can mitigate stress drivers flagged in government surveys.

• For parents: clear signposting and practical strategies reduce uncertainty and align home and school responses, supporting earlier help and appropriate escalation when needed. (NHS and local public health context).

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Work with VÕS HELP

If you’re a Leeds school, college, or university and want to strengthen your human to human mental health support:

• Set up a short discovery call to map how VÕS HELP can plug into your existing MHST, safeguarding and pastoral pathways.

• Pilot a triage pathway for students, staff and parents, with clear escalation to NHS services when appropriate.

• Use our assets to communicate access clearly: “mental health app in Leeds,” “speak to a human counsellor,” and “human based mental health app” are phrases your community already searches for, we’ll help you meet them where they are.

  
  

Sources

• NHS England. Mental health support in schools and colleges (MHSTs), coverage and expansion.

• NHS Digital / DHSC. Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2023 (Wave 4).

• Leeds Observatory. Joint Strategic Assessment 2024 – children and young people’s mental health (Leeds).

• Office for Students. Meeting the mental health needs of students (Oct 2023).

• Department for Education. Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders: Wave 3 (2024).

• NICE. Depression in children and young people: identification and management (NG134), last reviewed May 2024.

• NHS England Board. Integrated Performance Report (May 2025) – NHS Talking Therapies reliable recovery standard.