Dr Amina Al-Yassin This video includes some  tips for Social Workers and Youth Workers when   dealing with a child with an anxiety disorder.  As a Social Worker or Youth Worker, you are   ideally placed to help identify children who may  be struggling with their emotions or with anxiety.   Some useful early signs to look out for are  children who are no longer attending their   activities, who are absent or who are late, who  are withdrawing and less – you know, not enjoying   being part of the group or the activities  as much, or who maybe were doing things that   they found enjoyable previously and are no longer  doing them. These are all things to watch out for   and to make us think and wonder about whether  there may be an underlying anxiety disorder. If you are concerned, speak to the child,  speak to their family and see whether anyone   else has picked up on this. See if there’s  anything that anyone has found useful or   helpful for the child. And if, for example,  the family have tips or strategies or things   that they’ve been trying which they find  helpful, it might be really comforting for   the child for you to be able to carry on those  structures and routines in your setting, too. When we’re dealing with children with anxiety  or, in fact, any mental health concern, one   of the most useful things we can do is to adopt a  whole organisation approach to mental health. So,   that means when we deal with mental health as  a whole, and not just focus on the child in   question. So, in your youth club or in your social  work activity, you can consider running activities   for all the children involved, in which you teach  them about mental health, called psychoeducation,   or when you teach them useful strategies,  such as relaxation tips, grounding techniques   or mindfulness. In this way, you’re teaching all  children about how mental health is important, how   to recognise the signs and how to help ourselves  and how to reach out for more help when needed. Not only will this help the child in question,  but also, because it normalises it and it – and   all the children are involved, it means that  it makes it a less stigmatising issue. It can   promote tolerance, it can promote respect and  it can mean that children who may also have   been suffering silently, or who may not have come  to our attention, may feel more empowered to seek   out support. So, a whole organisation approach  is very helpful when it comes to mental health. Another useful thing, as a Social Worker  or a Youth Worker, is to ensure that there   are routines and structures in place in the  activities you do. Children and young people   with anxiety often find it really helpful  to know what’s coming and to have a routine,   to have expectations about the rules and how  your group works. So, ensure that you have a   timetable for the day, that children  and young people know what to expect,   what’s coming next, what’s happening next week,  if there’s going to be a holiday or a break,   just so that they’re able to prepare  themselves for what may be coming. Another important thing, especially in  youth work settings, is to ensure that   any bullying is recognised early and that  a stop is put to any bullying. Bullying,   being bullied or even witnessing bullying  can really increase anxiety in students. So,   ensure that you have a bullying policy  in place and that this is adhered to and   followed closely whenever there are any signs  of bullying. Bullying is one of – you know,   in my mental health clinic, many, many peop  – many, many children and young people cite   bullying as being one of the reasons  for their mental health dropping. So,   it’s really important that we’re able to  detect this early and do something about it. As a Youth Worker, you will be running many  activities for young people and many of these   activities may be really helpful, especially  for children and young people with anxiety.   These include things like getting to know you  activities, where you undertake activities   together to get the – to know the child or young  person more. These can help build relationships.   These can help build that relationship  between you and the child, which may mean   that they will feel more comfortable talking  to you about anything, if they’re required. By also helping the child to do activities which  contribute to problem solving, you’ll be teaching   them an important life skill and one that may  help them if they ever need to cope with anxiety   provoking situations in the future. It’s always  important for young people to know that you are   there for them and that they’re never going to be  in trouble for being anxious or sad or having any   difficult emotions, and that they should know  who to turn to and who to speak to, if needed. One of the most useful things I’ve learnt about  anxiety is that anxiety is part of a cycle,   where you have the – you are – you have the  anxiety and if you avoid the thing that’s   making you anxious, it can, for a very short  period of time, make you feel better. However,   in the long-term, that actually makes the anxiety  grow. So, for example, in a youth work setting,   if you have a child who finds the group  setting quite anxiety provoking and therefore,   prefers to be doing a solitary activity in a  room by themselves, or in a corner of the room,   that may make them feel a little bit better  for a short period of time. However, over time,   that will make them even more fearful of the  group setting because they’ve never experienced   being part of that group and realising  that it is safe, or maybe even enjoyable. And so, anxiety, which leads to avoidance, can  give you temporary relief, but then it can lead   to growth of anxiety. So, as a Social Worker or a  Youth Worker, a useful thing that you’re able to   do is to help children to expose themselves in a  very gradual and very supported way to the things   that make them feel anxious. So, that they’re  able to realise that they can do it and that   they grow in their self-efficacy or that  feeling that they are able to do difficult   things and that they’re able to survive them  and maybe even enjoy them. This helps the   child to develop a growth mindset, which can  be really helpful when it comes to anxiety. A very important part of your role as  a Youth Worker, or a Social Worker,   is to know where to get more help  and support, if needed. Know what   your local referral pathways are. Who should  you speak to if you’re worried? Who is your   local safeguarding lead? What are the ways  to contact a mental health professional,   if needed? This may be through the child’s  school, or it may be through the child’s GP. Ensure that you’re aware of these pathways, so  that if you are consistently concerned about a   child and think that some professional help is  needed, you’re able to help access it for them.   You know the child really well, you’ve seen them  regularly and you see them in a context outside of   home and school. And so, the information that you  provide will be invaluable to that referral and   will be giving a very different perspective and a  unique insight into the child, their behaviour and   their struggles and their strengths. And so, your  opinion would be very helpful on any referrals. Finally, being a Social Worker or a Youth  Worker can be a tough job and supporting   a child or young person with anxiety can  be really hard work. So, don’t forget to   look after yourself first. If you feel like  you’re having any difficulties with anxiety,   low mood or any other mental health issues, then  do not hesitate to seek support. You can always   reach out to your GP, to your Therapist or your  – to your mental health professional for advice   and they will always be happy to help and  happy to point you in the right direction.