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GoodSpace Schools Screening Framework

Introduction

GoodSpace Schools is a NZ social enterprise, who are co-designing youth friendly, clinically safe, digital screening and support tools. Our passionate team of medical, digital health & IT experts has developed a digital mental wellbeing screening platform, that has become the leading platform of its kind in New Zealand schools. It is a schoolwide support system that empowers school teams to create positive environments where every student can overcome wellbeing challenges and achieve their best learning outcome.

Brand promise

To make every New Zealand school a good space to learn through early identification of student needs & best practice support.

GoodSpace Schools Clinical Framework 

We use evidence based clinical frameworks for our wellbeing screening;

  • Wellbeing Screening survey - which is based on the HEeADSSS clinical framework, and the;

  • Check-in survey - which is the WHO-5 Wellbeing Index.

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HEeADSSS is a widely used and well evaluated framework for engaging students about their lifestyle and behaviours. The screening survey covers a broad range of psychosocial indicators to identify risk and protective factors for adolescents, these are; school life, belonging, selfcare, home life, sexual Identity, and mental health.  

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) – Five Well-being Index (WHO-5) is a short self-reported measure of mental wellbeing that has been tested and validated in populations aged 9 and above. The Check-in consists of five short statements which describe how the respondents may have felt over the last two weeks, and the respondent selects the most appropriate one. Within GoodSpace Schools we have included a sixth question so students can request to meet with the school wellbeing team regardless of their results should they wish to.

GoodSpace Schools Clinical Advisory Board

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GoodSpace Schools have an independent clinical advisory group which consists of a school head of wellbeing, child and adolescent psychiatrist, developmental paediatrician, academics with expertise in screening and wellbeing and facilitated by a public health physician.

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The current screening templates have been reviewed following feedback from schools, guidance counsellors, child and adolescent psychiatrist, academics and public health clinicians. 

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These question sets have now been used in a variety of schools including low to high decile schools, religious denomination schools, single sex schools, rural and urban schools, Māori immersion units within a larger school as well as the Blind and Low Vision (BLENNZ) school.

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Following the Clinical Advisory Group’s review process, an agreement on changes to the standard template is made. This is then made available for all schools on the GoodSpace Schools platform to make use of. Historical versions are still available for use if there are schools which prefer to continue with a specific template they have used before.  

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This has meant that we have a continuous evolution of our wellbeing question set which is based on a rigorous methodology which takes into account feedback from students and schools, as well as the changing environment our young people are currently living in, as well as best practice evidence.

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The flow of the questions have also been carefully considered to build trust with the respondent in answering honestly.

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We have also developed a question set focused on intermediate school age students based on this feedback.

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Below is an overview of the type of questions you can expect under each of the six sections within the Wellbeing Survey:

Wellbeing Survey Version 3 questions – first level

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GoodSpace Schools Wellbeing Survey covers a broad range of psychosocial indicators to identify risk and protective factors for adolescents.  The clinical HEeADSSS framework specifies domains of life that the screening covers, and it is a widely used and well evaluated framework for engaging students about their lifestyle and behaviours. In GoodSpace Schools wellbeing screening we focus on six core domains; School life, Self-care, Belonging, Home Life, Sexuality and Mental Health.  Outlined below are some of the types of core questions that are asked. Depending on the response, these may prompt further exploratory questions.

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Section 1 – Toku Kura – School Life

Your time and experiences at school can have a significant influence on your wellbeing. Questions in this section identify some key components of a school that can influence a students feeling of safety and inclusivity at school. Evidence shows that this sense of belonging and support within a school structure has a significant impact on both a young persons sense of wellbeing as well as attendance and engagement at school.

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Examples of questions include:

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  • ​Does your school feel like a safe place? 

  • Do you have a friend whom you can count on at school?

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Section 2 – Toku Tinana - Self-Care

Self-care is anything you do to take care of yourself so that you can stay physically, mentally, and emotionally well. Questions in this section ask about specific activities that a young person might do to take care of themselves or put them at greater risk of poor mental health. This includes questions around sleep, nutrition, exercise, social media use and concerns around body image.

Examples of questions include:

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  • Do you worry about your body or weight? 

  • How often do you vape?

  • Are you having trouble sleeping?

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Section 3 – Whakawhanaungatanga - Belonging

A sense of belonging is important to our life satisfaction, happiness and mental and physical health. Evidence suggests that sense of belonging is one of the two key modifiable risk factors that predict future risk of anxiety and depression. Questions in this section ask about experiences which may have had an impact on your sense of belonging either within your school or the wider community.

Examples of questions include:

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  • Do you ever feel lonely or left out of activities?

  • Do you find it easy to express your identity or be yourself?

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Section 4 - Whanau/Toku Kainga - Home Life

Stable and supportive family relationships are protective factors for good mental health and wellbeing. Questions in this section ask about the support and care you experience within your family and home life as well as questions to identify any additional support schools may be able to play a navigator role.

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  • Is there anyone at home you can talk to if you are worried about anything?

  • Are you responsible for the care of a parent / adult at home?

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Section 5 - Te hokakatanga me te ira tangata - Sexuality

This section encompasses the memories, experiences, relationships, and values that create one’s sense of self. We ask some questions focused on sexual and gender identity as well as some general questions around sexual health. Questions on sexual orientation and gender identity are primarily focused on negative experiences as it has a significant impact on student mental health. 

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  • Have you ever felt that your gender identity did not match the sex you were born with?

  • Have you ever had a sexual experience you did not want or consent to?

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Section 6 - Hinengaro - Mental Health

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Depression and anxiety affect us all differently. Sometimes life’s ups and downs are more than just the usual ups and downs. Questions in this section will help identify whether you might need any additional support.

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  • Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you felt nervous, anxious or on edge?

  • Suicide / self harm

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