Training your team and ensuring everyone's knowledge is up-to-date are important CPD triggers. We suggest that you get the team together for a training session based on the activities below and discuss the various ways in which you can offer customers and patients added care in this category.

Subject: Child mental health

This Train Your Team checklist provides support and information to run a team training session on child mental health. This content can also be used for your own CPD.

Reflection

• As a pharmacy team, do we take children’s mental health seriously?
• What opportunities do we have to help families where there may be mental health issues, particularly in younger members of the household?
• Can we communicate with sensitivity on these issues?
• Do we know where to signpost parents for information on mental health issues in children and what sources of social support there are for children and young people in the locality?
• What advice can we give to parents to help their children to get enough sleep and physical activity?

Training checklist

Ensure your support staff understand the following key points:

• The importance of knowing what to look out for regarding child mental health
• How to communicate with parents with sensitivity
• How a healthy diet and physical activity can contribute to improved mental health in children
• Where to signpost families and households where there may be mental health issues in youngsters
• When to refer to the pharmacist.

Action. I will:

• Re-assess our communication skills in delivering health related information and advice for children
• Ask a member of the pharmacy team to identify and keep information on healthcare issues of relevance to children
• Make sure we keep up-to-date information on mental health services in our locality and appropriate websites and local self-help groups
• Train my pharmacy assistants to ensure that they can meet the points in the training checklist.

Practice point

• How could you help the parents of a 14-year-old boy or girl to talk to the youngster’s school about a mental health issue?