Why we need the Reconnect and Recover toolkit for children's mental health post lockdown

Lockdown has impacted on children in many ways. Each child's experience is unique and for some it will have been positive. But for many children it will have negatively affected their lives as they face social isolation, loss of learning time, diminished physical health (less exercise, poorer nutrition) and a lack of routine or structure that brings a feeling of safety and order to their daily lives.

Coram SCARF and Coram Beanstalk, both part of the oldest UK children's charity, Coram, have created an easy to access and implement toolkit to help build children's resilience and wellbeing as they return to school.

It’s designed to be easy for teachers to use – everything in one place – and uses an evidence-informed framework and approach to improving mental health, for all ages.  

About the Reconnect and Recover toolkit

This toolkit will work alongside the varying strategies that schools will use to support children's mental health and resilience, post lockdown.

It's based on the evidence-led NHS 5 steps to mental wellbeing:

SCARF's Reconnect and Recover toolkit will give you:

• Stories and inspiring writing to support the Reconnect and Recover toolkit – these are the starting points for activities which then build on the 5 wellbeing themes.
• 1-a-day or 1-a-week age-appropriate activities to help children practice and use the 5 steps in their everyday lives
• Creative and flexible ways of promoting everyone's mental health as schools re-open to all children

If you are an existing SCARF subscriber then access to the enhanced toolkit is included in your subscription.

Non-SCARF subscribers can sign up for free here