Conferences
The main way that we support Central and South West London/Surrey schools is through our conference programme.
Please contact education@stem4.org.uk for further information or to book a conference.
Student
stem4 student conferences introduce teenagers to current mental health challenges relevant to their age group, and they are invited to comment on these themselves. They are encouraged to address stigma, learn to manage their stresses effectively, pick up on early warning signs and ask for help. They are also encouraged to get involved in taking the lead in cascading positive messages to their school and peers about looking after their mental health.
We offer interactive conferences on teenage mental health for up to 150 secondary school students at a time, typically from year 9 or 10. These can be either exclusively for one school, or multi-school events. The two different models have different funding implications.
stem4 student conferences combine a range of excellent speakers, including some of our ambassadors, with lived experience, together with an evidence-based, professional perspective, as well as group activities and opportunities for students to present their own views.
The conferences offer a valuable opportunity for schools to highlight the importance of students’ wellbeing. The main topics include: enhancing wellbeing and resilience together with how to identify and take steps to manage stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, self-harm, eating disorders in themselves and in friends. Clear signposting is provided at the conferences for students to access further support for themselves of their peers.
Conference delegates are encouraged to share their learning through an assembly in their own school which can be supported by stem4’s Education Coordinator by arrangement.
At a recent multi-school conference in a Wandsworth school, 99% of year 9 attendees said that they would recommend a stem4 conference.
‘I had lots of fun and now have a deeper understanding of mental health.’
‘The information was perfect and helpful.’
‘The conference was really cool and 100% recommended.’
Please contact education@stem4.org.uk for further information or to book a student conference.
Parent/carer
stem4 runs conferences for parents and carers in the Central and South West London/Surrey area. The conferences aim to raise awareness of adolescent mental ill-health issues; highlight how to spot the early signs of mental ill-health and signpost to support. Tips on communicating effectively, strengthening family connections, sibling support and parent mental wellbeing are all conference topics.
After a multi-school parent conference held at a school in Merton, 94% of attendees said that the conference helped them to know what early steps to take to deal positively with mental health problems and 100% of attendees said that they would recommend the conference.
‘The Q&As were good: eliciting real-world coping strategies and exercises.’
Education Professional
stem4 conferences for education professionals take place in the Central and South West London/Surrey area and feature well-known speakers in the field on relevant topics together with a forum for school leaders to discuss their school’s concerns and to share in developing policies and practices.
Themes offered to date have included developing whole-school mental health programmes, current trends and teenage mental health and ill health, ideas for successfully incorporating Government plans for mental health literacy in schools, digital resilience and supporting teacher mental health.
Conferences for education professionals are aimed at all education professionals including headteachers, SLTs, teachers, SENCOs, teaching assistants and pastoral leads.
86% of education professionals’ rated the last conference as very good/excellent.
‘I found today very useful and will be taking the information back to the Senior Leadership Team at my school to help with our plans.’
School Nurse
Our conferences for school nurses provide relevant clinical information delivered in the Central and South West London/Surrey area by experienced speakers on relevant topics together with offering a forum to discuss topical issues and concerns as well as service development.
Some of the topics covered to date include early identification and support of students vulnerable to mental health issues, supporting students who present with mental ill-health problems such as eating disorders and self-harm, information on current evidence-based interventions, developing clear intervention pathways, supervision and support.
96% rated the last nurse conference as excellent and the remaining 4% as very good.
‘It was a very informative and thought-provoking day. Speakers were very knowledgeable and informative. I will recommend to college and school staff.’
GP
GP conferences are for GPs and GP assistants, trainee GPs and primary care medical specialists and are CPD certified. These conferences take place in London and the South East and feature expert speakers on relevant topics together with offering a forum to discuss issues, concerns and service developments.
Some of the topics covered include: Aetiology and clinical features of common mental health problems faced by children and young people; early identification and intervention of specific mental ill-health problems; monitoring and working with patients who present in primary care with mental ill-health problems such as self-harm and eating disorders, including assessing and managing risk; current evidence-based interventions; developing clear intervention pathways; and supervision/support.
At the last GP Conference, 90% GPs rated the conference as excellent.
‘An excellent conference with lots of very practical tips on how we can support our young patients. I found the talk on clinical depression very useful.’
