This article is written by Sam Tyrer, Founder of Change Talks at Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
Trigger warning: this article includes themes relating to suicide and self-harm.
Introduction: My journey and mission
My journey into health education began within the NHS. As a gastroenterology nurse, I encountered many patients whose physical health challenges were deeply rooted in emotional and psychological distress. One event changed everything for me – the day a patient I had cared for tragically took his own life. That experience left a lasting mark and exposed the urgent need for early, preventative education around mental and emotional wellbeing.
I realised that if we want to make real change, we must act before young people reach crisis point. In 2017, I founded Change Talks as part of an NHS initiative to bring honest, evidence-based conversations about health and wellbeing into schools. What began as a regional project has since grown into a national programme that has reached over 150,000 young people across the UK.
Our mission is clear. We want to educate, empower, and equip the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to make informed choices about their health and their lives and we want to work closely with school and trust leaders to help to make this happen. This article is part of that effort.
The scale of the challenge
As you will undoubtedly know as trust leaders, the challenges facing young people today are greater than ever before. According to NHS Digital, one in five children and young people in England has a probable mental health disorder. That is a significant increase since 2017 and reflects the growing pressures on today’s youth.
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among young people in the UK, particularly for those aged 15 to 34. Recent data shows a worrying increase in suicide rates among teenagers and young adults, with the numbers reaching their highest levels in decades. For many in this age group, suicide tragically represents a significant cause of mortality, alongside other factors such as accidents. This stark reality highlights the urgent need for effective, preventative mental health and wellbeing education tailored to young people’s unique experiences and challenges.
The Covid-19 pandemic only deepened these issues and many of you will be seeing this play out across your schools. Isolation, disruption to education, loss of routine, and anxiety around health and finances created a perfect storm for emotional distress. On top of that, schools and health services are under immense pressure. The number of referrals to specialist mental health services has reached record levels, and many young people are left waiting months for support that should be immediate.
It is no longer enough to talk about young people’s health. We must also act. We need to rethink how we prepare them for the complex, fast-changing world they are growing up in and your role as trust leaders is pivotal to this as there is so much that you can enable and lead across your trusts that would make a big difference to young people’s mental health.
“This stark reality highlights the urgent need for effective, preventative mental health and wellbeing education tailored to young people’s unique experiences and challenges.”
Key emerging trends affecting young people’s health and wellbeing
Understanding the pressures young people face today is critical. These are not the same issues we saw ten or twenty years ago. While some challenges are longstanding, others are unique to our digital age and economic climate.
Mobile phone and social media use
Technology connects us, but for many young people it also contributes to loneliness, anxiety, and low self-worth. Social media platforms promote curated versions of life that can leave young people feeling inadequate. Constant comparison, cyberbullying, and fear of missing out have become daily experiences for many teenagers. Screen time also affects sleep, concentration, and the ability to focus in school.
Influence of online content
Beyond social media, the wider internet exposes young people to a wide range of unregulated content. From harmful body ideals to the normalisation of drug use and gambling, young people are absorbing messages that shape their values, choices, and behaviours. It is difficult to shield them from everything, but we can give them the critical thinking tools to navigate it safely.
Lack of positive role models
Many young people, particularly boys, lack visible, emotionally intelligent role models who can show that vulnerability is a strength, and that healthy masculinity is about balance, respect, and resilience. Without these role models, unhealthy behaviours and attitudes can take root.
Body image pressures
The pressure to look a certain way affects both boys and girls. Unrealistic beauty standards perpetuated by influencers, advertising, and peer pressure can contribute to eating disorders, low self-esteem, and anxiety. We are seeing these issues emerge earlier in life, with some children as young as eight already worrying about how they look.
Cost of living and family stress
Financial insecurity is putting immense pressure on families. Rising costs affect everything from access to healthy food and extracurricular activities to the emotional environment at home. For children growing up in households under strain, emotional wellbeing can quickly deteriorate, especially when there is limited access to external support.
These interconnected challenges do not exist in isolation. They impact young people’s ability to learn, build relationships, and envision a positive future. They require joined-up solutions that are accessible, evidence-based, and rooted in real-life experience.
The role of schools and trusts in creating a healthier future
As you all know only too well, schools are not just places of academic learning. They are often the first line of defence in supporting young people’s health and emotional development. Teachers and school staff see the day-to-day struggles that young people face, often before anyone else does. You are in a unique position to intervene early, to educate, and to empower.
NHS trusts also play a vital role. Their clinical expertise and community engagement offer critical support to both schools and families. But we are all operating in an environment of limited time, funding, and capacity.
With increasing demands placed on schools and NHS services, the challenge is clear. How can we deliver impactful, meaningful health and wellbeing education together without placing additional pressure on already stretched professionals?
Change Talks: Practical solutions that support schools and trusts
At Change Talks, we believe that early intervention does not need to be complex or costly. That is why we created our digital PSHE learning platform – a comprehensive, NHS-backed tool that delivers engaging, age-appropriate education across the full personal, social, health, and economic curriculum.
This platform was developed by NHS clinicians and education experts to make it easy for schools to deliver high-quality content without needing specialist staff. It covers a wide range of topics, including:
- Mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Body image and self-esteem
- Sexual health and healthy relationships
- Substance misuse, including drugs, alcohol, and vaping
- Gambling and online risk
- Financial literacy and cost of living challenges
- Social media and digital safety
- Resilience, communication, and empathy
What makes the platform unique is its real-life focus. Lessons are built around lived experience, not just theory. Interactive videos, quizzes, and activities bring complex issues to life in a way that resonates with young people.
A standout feature is the platform’s topical content area, regularly updated to reflect emerging trends, cultural moments, and new challenges affecting students. From the impact of new social media platforms to discussions around vaping, we ensure education remains relevant and up to date.
Accessible online anytime, anywhere, the platform is flexible, cost-effective, and designed to reduce pressure, not add to it. As one teacher shared:
“Change Talks learning platform has been an invaluable asset in delivering high-quality personal development content that is NHS-backed and created by health and wellbeing experts. As a full-time teacher and personal development lead in a busy secondary school, this platform has saved me and many other staff hours of planning time. What’s more, I know I can trust the resources to be engaging, informative, and fully in line with statutory requirements. I would highly recommend this service and will continue to use it for all our personal development curriculum needs.”
Teachers particularly value the interactive structure:
“The discussion sections were vital in gaining understanding for students. They tend to disengage when videos are prolonged, so the short videos were beneficial.”
Optional support: teacher training and parent engagement
While the platform is intuitive and can be used independently, we also offer optional support for those wanting to go further.
Our teacher training programme helps staff feel confident in delivering sensitive or complex topics. Grounded in NHS clinical insight, it equips teachers to handle discussions with compassion, clarity, and consistency. As one attendee said:
“Just wanted to say how much I appreciated and enjoyed your training tonight. You were so professional and informative, and at the same time made it so relaxed and personal. Thank you and well done – it was a positive and valuable session, even after a very difficult day.”
We also provide a parent and carer engagement package, recognising that what happens at home is just as important as what happens in school. This includes:
- Webinars delivered by NHS clinicians and topic specialists
• Monthly newsletters with tips, updates, and wellbeing insights
• Practical resources to help families support their children’s health and development
Together, this creates a strong triangle of support between school, home, and health services. When young people feel safe, understood, and equipped across all areas of their lives, the impact is transformative.
As one school leader summarised:
“This is something we should look to use again in the future. One of the best outside speakers we have had in my 17 years at school.”
Looking ahead: building a resilient generation
Young people today are facing challenges that no generation has faced before. But they are also full of potential, creativity, and courage. With the right tools and the right support, they can not only survive these challenges – but they can also thrive.
At Change Talks, we are committed to building a future where health and wellbeing are not just seen as extras, but as essential parts of every child’s education. Our platform, training, and family support are designed to make this possible for every school, every trust, and every community.
The work we do is not just about preventing crisis. It is about giving young people the knowledge and strength to navigate life with confidence. It is about changing the narrative from reaction to prevention, from silence to conversation, from stigma to empowerment.
“With increasing demands placed on schools and NHS services, the challenge is clear. How can we deliver impactful, meaningful health and wellbeing education together without placing additional pressure on already stretched professionals?”
How trust leaders can help revolutionise wellbeing education
As trust leaders, you have the power to drive meaningful change:
- Prioritise prevention, not just intervention. Embed early, evidence-based health and wellbeing education across your trust to equip young people with the knowledge and confidence to navigate life’s challenges before they reach crisis point.
- Leverage trusted, clinically informed resources. Utilise NHS-backed tools like Change Talks to deliver consistent, high-quality PSHE content without adding pressure to your teaching staff or budgets.
- Champion a whole-community approach. Strengthen outcomes by connecting schools, families, and health services, creating a culture where wellbeing education is everyone’s responsibility – leading to long-term resilience and healthier futures.
If you want to learn more, partner with us, or explore how Change Talks can support your school or organisation, please reach out. We would love to hear from you.
Email us at: change.talks@lscft.nhs.uk
Visit our website: https://change-talks.co.uk/about-us/
Together, we can create a healthier, more resilient generation – and a future where every young person can flourish.
“As a leader within a Multi-Academy Trust committed to the flourishing of every child, I am proud to offer my full support for the NHS-backed Change Talks initiative. At a time when mental health and wellbeing represent one of the greatest challenges facing young people, and our nation as a whole, Change Talks provides a timely, targeted, and clinically informed intervention that is making a measurable difference – especially for our most vulnerable pupils.
The value of this programme lies not only in its preventative focus, but also in the credibility and integrity it brings by being led by NHS clinical professionals. This ensures that the support offered to our young people is safe, evidence-based, and rooted in a deep understanding of mental health needs. It complements the work of schools, offering a bridge between education and health that is often so desperately needed but rarely available in such an accessible way.
In a context where school staff are increasingly stretched, and where the complexity of pupil need is growing, Change Talks is not a luxury – it is an investment. An investment in young lives, in early action over late response, and in a healthier, more resilient future generation.
I wholeheartedly commend this initiative and urge educational leaders and policymakers to embrace its value. Our children deserve nothing less.” ~ Elliot Costas-Walker, Director of Learning and Partnerships, Forward As One Academy Trust
