Social media and the internet have a huge impact on the wellbeing of children and young people, and Aye Mind is here for anyone who works with children and young people. Founded on the belief that those who support children and young people’s wellbeing must engage with the ‘digital world’, a new updated Aye Mind website was launched on the 19 September. 

Heather Sloan, Health Improvement Lead (Mental Health), NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) said: “Digital is a seamless part of the world that we live in ,and all of us should recognise the impacts that the internet and social media can have on wellbeing.

“I’m excited that the new refreshed website has been launched. Aye Mind has been around for more than 7 years and has evolved to a fresher streamlined resource aimed at supporting staff who support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. While online approaches to mental health should never replace face-to-face support, the website will help to promote help seeking behaviours and equip those who work with young people to be more confident to access appropriate support materials. We hope that the site will be a valuable tool for staff and welcome any feedback and suggestions for content to enable it to be current and useful.”

Through its website and community of practice, Aye Mind aims to help build confidence in using digital tools to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. It also aims to build people’s knowledge around children and young people’s online lives, including the benefits and potential risks to their wellbeing, and how we can support them to have a positive online experience. 

A key feature of the website includes ‘how-to’ guides, which are written by other organisations working with children and young people and outline the exact steps they followed when implementing digital tools. The website also includes a digital mental health and wellbeing tools directory and a comprehensive toolkit to support people on their digital journey.

Aye Mind has been developed by NHSGGC’s Mental Health Improvement Team, hosted within Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership. Other partners include Third Sector Lab, YouthLink Scotland, East Renfrewshire HSCP, Glasgow School of Art and Specialist Children’s Services at NHSGGC. 

The Aye Mind website and its resources can be accessed at https://ayemind.com/