Child A has been experiencing low moods and has been self-harming, resulting in superficial injuries. A study conducted by the University of Manchester and Keele University, and was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) found that since 2011 there has been a 68% increase in rates of self-harm among girls aged 13 to 16 (NHS, 2017).

Child A receives pastoral support from her school to address her emotional wellbeing. When I discussed the reasons for self-harm and low moods, Child A spoke about her use of social media and how this contributed to her low moods and self-esteem. A study conducted by Glasgow University questioned 467 teenagers about their social media use. Alongside this, they analysed their sleep quality, self-esteem, anxiety and depression levels against their “emotional investment”. The results of this analysis showed a connection between social media use and poorer sleep quality, lower self-esteem and higher anxiety and depression (BBC news, 2015). I found when working with Child A, it was beneficial that I was a young female as Child A stated she found it easier to speak to me and found our topics of conversation relatable. I was able to speak with Child A about the channels of social media that she uses from my personal experience with these same platforms. I took the opportunity to reflect on my experiences as a young girl in secondary school and the pressures faces and was able to empathise with Child A whilst maintaining a professional relationship. (PCF 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7)

Around a year ago, Child B was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) which has been defined by the NHS as is a behavioural disorder that includes symptoms such as inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness (NHS, 2018). A few months later he also received a diagnosis for autism; defined by the National Autistic Society as a lifelong, developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with and relates to other people, and how they experience the world around them (National Autistic Society, 2018). The National Autistic Society also report that autistic children may be at higher risk of being abused than others, this can be more difficult to detect due to the limited speech, communication difficulties and the struggle some autistic children face with identifying their emotions (National Autistic Society, 2018). Upon receiving the diagnoses, mother admits that she found this difficult to manage and struggled to process this information emotionally. When we explored this further, we discussed how this could have been the trigger for mother’s decline in emotional wellbeing; leading to the suicide and self-harm