Keep Safe and Cope Well Plan

Hi, my name is Anna Morton and I am a Cheshire East Youth Councillor. I have been involved in developing the Keep Safe and Cope Well plans for a few years now. I have been to every consultation at Cheshire East Youth Council from the start. I have a lengthy experience of struggling with my own mental health, both at home and in school. And I have used this experience to give input into what the plan should look like and what would have helped me when I was in that place. This is one of the reasons that I am so passionate about the plans, because I know that they would have helped me, so I hope that they can help others. A few years ago, we as a youth council took part in workshops where we looked at case studies of children and young people struggling with their mental health, both at home and in school. We also used our own lived experiences to give input. From this, we discussed what would be most important to have on the plans and what would help children and young people the most. We also discussed that having pocket-sized plans that can be kept hidden well and discreet would mean that it could be kept private, as well as discussing other areas of the design. Since then, we have had many further consultations on the plans and have had the opportunity to have our voices heard all the way through. It was extremely important to have children and young people involved in developing the plans as they will be the ones using it. It was important to get accessible language right so that it could be understood by young primary school aged children and children with different needs, meaning that it is accessible for everyone. Also, both at home and at school, the child will have a list of people who can help them. This shall promote the child reaching out for help more and knowing exactly where to find it, which further promotes effective communication. I have really enjoyed being involved in the Keep Safe and Cope Well plans and I hope that they can have a great impact on the lives of children. Thank you for listening.