GIRFEC for Everyone

LGBT Youth Scotland’s Smash Up experiences of wellbeing in school/college.

The ALLIANCE’s Children and Young People programme met with members of LGBT Youth Scotland’s Smash Up group to discuss experiences of wellbeing in school/college. This case study is a composite of the different experiences across the group.

Wellbeing in school doesn’t really mean very much. I’ve not got a real sense of what it actually is, it’s a lot of being told to take a deep breath. It’s pretty surface level.

My school involves me in some decisions and asks for my input on how they can make improvements. Most people don’t get that opportunity, but I was seen as quite vocal. I think they should look at more ways to include people who aren’t as comfortable and put different things in place to get people involved.

I think in general, communication could be improved. You’re not always sure what a teacher knows about your support needs. You think that they know, but they actually don’t, especially with substitute teachers. I think something like Pupil Place Mats would be helpful. It’s a collection of information about a person that outlines their story, personality, and key things to know about me, as well as how to work with me. It’s not shared with other students, but could be given to new teachers and substitutes.

There is a Wellbeing Hub at my school, but it’s only mentioned at assembly. There’s not enough information available, so it’s hard to know what that service does or what that process looks like. It sometimes feels like you have to know the secret password to get support, which isn’t fair because everyone has wellbeing.

Things that have made a difference to my wellbeing at school are when there’s been flexibility. If a classroom has felt too much, or it’s too busy, being able to access areas that are better suited has been helpful. Teachers can have a huge impact, and I think they should be more aware of this. It would be good if there was more training for teachers on mental health and neurodiversity that actually included the perspectives of young people.