About us
Why we started
Playfield Institute was set up in 2005 by NHS Fife in direct response to the recommendations made by the Scottish Needs Assessment Programme (SNAP) Report of Children and Young People's Mental Health. The report indicated that many of those working with children and young people needed further training and support when dealing with mental health issues.
Who is the Institute for?
Playfield Institute is a resource for anyone working with children and young people (for example: school nurses, social workers, teachers, foster carers, etc).
What do we do?
We provide advice, assistance and support to workers, to help them promote the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. We encourage workers to share good practice.
How do we do it?
We facilitate skills-based training, provide an information service and conduct and support research & development. Please visit the individual sections for more information.
Our goal
Our goal is to increase the capacity of workers to:
• promote children and young people's mental wellbeing; and
• provide early intervention and support for those with mental health problems.
Our ethos
• We respect and value the people who work with children and young people and we strive to meet their needs.
• We recognise that by affirming workers' beliefs in their existing skills and knowledge and by helping them acquire new skills, their self-confidence can be improved.
• We encourage the sharing of skills and knowledge between different groups and organisations, therefore improving multi-agency collaboration.
• We believe that a relaxing, creative environment can help workers reflect on practice and learn from others.
• We understand that it is important to promote research and use the findings to improve services.
• We recognise that the needs of children, young people and their families should be considered when developing training, information and research programmes.
About the staff
Click here to meet the Institute team.
Where are we?
Playfield Institute is located within Stratheden Hospital, 2 miles west of Cupar, Fife, in Scotland. For more information and maps, click here.