This is My Place: a call to stand with every child this Children’s Mental Health Week
February 9-15 marks Children’s Mental Health Week, and the theme is ‘This is My Place’.
Temitope, a nurse, received an RCN Foundation Leathersellers’ education grant to undertake a Children’s Mental Health Conditions: Child and Adolescent Wellbeing course at Anglia Ruskin University.
Below she shares her reflections and the impact the grant has had, particularly shifting her perspective about children’s mental health.
This is My Place: a call to stand with every child this Children’s Mental Health Week
In a world moving faster than ever, children and young people are asking for just one thing: a place where they feel seen, heard, safe and understood. This is My Place is not just a theme – it is a promise. A promise that every child deserves space to grow, to question, to struggle and to thrive without fear or stigma.
This week as we mark Children’s Mental Health Week, we shine a light on the reality that millions of young people face daily – anxiety, depression, trauma, neurodevelopmental differences – these are not distant issues, but the lived experiences of children in our classrooms, homes, communities and care systems.
Behind every diagnosis is a story.
Behind every struggle is a family navigating uncertainty.
Behind every child is a society that must decide whether to step forward with courage or stay silent.
Health professionals need to be equipped to not just understand mental health challenges, but to influence systems, shape practice and spark change to build a future where every child can say “This is my place” with confidence.
As a proud recipient of the RCN Foundation Leathersellers’ education grant, I want to share how deeply transformative this learning journey has been – both personally and professionally.
Thanks to this support, I am actively progressing through the Children’s Mental Health Conditions: Child and Adolescent Wellbeing course at Anglia Ruskin University and the impact has been remarkable. This grant has done more than fund my studies – it opened a door to knowledge, confidence, purpose and helped me find a place in children’s mental health advocacy.
My progress so far
Growing my understanding of child and adolescent mental health
I can now critically evaluate a wide range of mental health conditions that affect children and young people as a GP Nurse. This knowledge is already reshaping how I view behaviours, emotions and developmental needs around me.
Understanding coping strategies
The course has helped me analyse adaptive and maladaptive coping patterns, to explore why children react the way they do and how those behaviours affect their wellbeing. It has challenged me to rethink my own assumptions and the importance of seeing the bigger picture: family and education.
I now critically appraise the real impact mental health challenges have on families, siblings and school life. This insight has made me more empathetic, more observant and more prepared to support in my current job role.
Breaking down stigma
Through exploring the sociological aspects of mental health, I’ve been able to recognise how stigma, culture, environment and identity shape a young person’s experience. This has strengthened my commitment to advocacy.
Considering treatment and intervention
The modules on treatment and intervention have pushed me to reflect deeply on what meaningful support should look like, not just in theory, but in real world settings.
This course is not just academic – it is empowering, eye opening and transformational.
This is more than a course – it is a movement. A movement to build a community of health practitioners ready to stand for children whose voices are often lost in the noise
Gratitude
I am sincerely grateful for this grant. It has made a life changing opportunity accessible to me and is already enhancing the way I work with children and families in primary care.
Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for investing in the wellbeing of children through education and training.
For anyone considering applying for the grant when it reopens in 2026, the knowledge you gain will not only strengthen your practice, but will give you the ability to make a lasting difference in a young person’s life.