Publish date: 10 March 2026
Emma Holleywell talks about her role supporting schools across Northumberland to strengthen their approach to mental health and wellbeing
I am senior mental health whole school approach lead coordinator based at Blyth Hospital, but I work across schools throughout Northumberland.
I work closely with schools, most often alongside senior mental health leads. I also collaborate with educational mental health practitioners, planning and developing support to help schools strengthen their whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing.
In addition, I work with colleagues across Northumberland County Council, including educational psychologists, assistant educational psychologists, the ‘Virtual School’, and the emotional wellbeing support team. Together, we think creatively and strategically about the best ways to support the emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people.
One of the things I love most about my role is that there isn’t really a typical day. Each day is varied and brings something different. I might spend the morning working alongside a senior leader in a school, the afternoon analysing data or writing reports, and the evening delivering workshops for parents and carers.
There’s a real balance between in-person work and working from home, which I value greatly. The breadth of the role also means no two days are the same, and each one brings new opportunities to make a difference.
I came into this role from a teaching background, and I’m really proud to hold an educational post within the NHS. I value the opportunity to bring an educational perspective into healthcare, particularly around supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
I am especially passionate about supporting preventative mental health and wellbeing in schools, helping to create environments where children and young people can thrive before difficulties escalate. When I was a teacher, my passion was always about helping people, and this role gives me a platform to do that on a much wider scale.
One of the things I really enjoy is working with such a wide range of people from different professional backgrounds, all bringing their own experiences and perspectives. I find this incredibly enriching and motivating. I love learning, and every day I discover something new, there is always more to explore, and the areas I’m interested in are actively encouraged and supported.
I’m also incredibly lucky to work within such a lovely team! Everyone is so supportive of one another, which makes coming to work genuinely enjoyable.
I feel very proud and privileged to be able to do this role. For me, it’s the relationships I build with the people I work with that makes me feel so proud. The small moments often mean the most, a kind email of thanks or a message from a teacher in a school really stays with me.
While so much of my work is about individual connections, I also take great pride in the wider impact we’ve had through the SMHL conferences. It feels really special to know that the messages we’ve shared about relationship building approaches are now being taken forward and used in so many schools across Northumberland.
My aim is always for people to feel supported and looked after, so hearing that this is how people feel, whether on an individual level or across whole school communities, is truly rewarding and reminds me why I do what I do.
What’s most important to me, and to our team, is relationships. We truly believe that feeling safe, heard and supported is the foundation for good mental health and wellbeing, and that this begins with strong, compassionate connections within school communities.
We’re passionate about raising awareness of the importance of a whole-school, relationship approach to mental health, one that values prevention, early support and collaboration. Schools do incredible work every day, and our role is to walk alongside them, offering guidance, encouragement and practical support.
Ultimately, we want children and young people across Northumberland to feel understood, supported and able to thrive, and for the adults around them to feel confident, cared for and never alone in that work. Being part of that journey is a real privilege.