HandsOnScotland: New NHS website resource

The website is a resource for anybody working with children and young people:

www.handsonscotland.co.uk

The website contains 48 topics within 14 sections that cover a wide range of mental health issues ranging from abuse to sleeping difficulties. There are also 25 sets of videos from specialists giving tips and advice. The site is continually evolving: each section has a feedback form, and comments from these forms have resulted in the website team adding or changing information and advice.

A post-launch evaluation involving over 60 workers has been completed. Overall, the feedback was positive, and all workers in the study reported that they would use the website again in the future as well as recommend it to others. The evaluation also showed that over 2-3 months of using the website, the workers increased their understanding of troubling behaviours and their confidence increased. They also reported feeling more supported in their work.

HandsOnScotland is described as an online resource for anybody working with children and young people. The website provides practical information and techniques on how to respond helpfully to children and young people's troubling behaviour, build up their self-esteem and promote their positive mental wellbeing.

The website was commissioned by the Scottish government through HeadsUpScotland and was developed by Playfield Institute (NHS Fife) in partnership with Barnardo's and the University of Dundee.

Here is a small collection of some of the organisations that have already included the link.

International
World Federation for Mental Health
Children’s Rights Information Network

National
America, Centre for Mental Health in Schools
Australia, Auseinet
Australian Primary Principals Association
Australian Government Education Portal
Canada, Canadian Foster Family Association
Canada, Canadian Mental Health Association

NHS
NHS Choices
NHS 24
Health Promotion Resources Online NHS

Libraries
National Library for Health
Social Care Online
Intute:Health and Life Sciences

UK Wide
The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Association of Directors of Social Work
Young Minds
Mental Health Foundation
Sane
The Fostering Network
Primary Resources
Inclusion
ChildcareLink
Beat
OCD-Today

If you require further information please get in touch.

Derek Harley
Information and Resource Nurse
Playfield Institute
Fife Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
Stratheden Hospital
Cupar
Fife
KY15 5RR
Tel: 01334 696041
E-mail: derekharley@nhs.net
Web site: www.playfieldinstitute.co.uk