What’s the problem?

Being a teenager has always been tough, but for today’s young people, peer pressure happens around the clock, bullying invades their own homes, and exam pressures at school have ratcheted up. With pressure to keep up appearances online, be available 24/7, perfect (and share) their bodies, get the best grades, think and say the ‘right’ thing, and support their families too, teenagers live with a huge amount of stress.

The consequences

We are seeing a mental health epidemic in our young people. 1 in 6 children aged five to 16 were identified as having a probable mental health problem in July 2020; Less than 1 in 3 young people with a mental health condition get access to NHS care and treatment; 80% of young people with mental health needs agree that the Covid-19 pandemic has made their mental health worse (YoungMinds 2023).  And for those who don’t become unwell, there is little time and space at school or home to switch off, breathe, reflect, and form their own opinions and ideas – something that is a crucial part of adolescence.

Our aim is to create space

Young people don’t need yet another voice telling them what to think and do. Rather than pile more pressure onto them (“do these ten things to feel better”), we believe in creating space away from it all. Space focused on the Young Person to reflect, to ask big questions, to explore what’s going on inside, and to creatively express their own ideas.

We do this by…

• Listening to young people’s ideas and requests about what they want to discuss, whether that be self-harm, pornography, or how to make good decisions.
• Running workshops on these topics in their schools, where they can explore, debate, reflect and express themselves.
• Creating Young Person centered spaces in schools where they can share what’s on their minds, process what they’re feeling, or just to take some time out from the pressure and relax.
• Delivering one to one mentoring for Young people; Helping schools in Berkshire to run an effective PSHE and RE curriculum.

Schools want to meet these needs themselves, but are struggling with the growing need and shrinking budgets, and teachers don’t have enough time with the increased demands of the role.

The NHS is struggling to cope too. The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) is terribly stretched, with teenagers often facing year-long waiting lists and a high threshold for accessing help with their mental health. We need more prevention and intervention work in schools.

Soulscape can help to meet this need as it is not constrained by the education system and can totally focused on the Young Person and their needs.  This early intervention is essential to help Young People when they are most in need.