Blue Smile - Outreach Service project - Cambridgeshire Community Foundation

According to NHS England figures published in November 2023, 1 in 5 children aged 8–16 in England has a probable mental health disorder. As NHS waiting times grow, more children are being referred to organisations like Blue Smile, and the cases arriving are increasingly complex.

Blue Smile‘s Outreach Service offers 1:1 therapy to children in primary schools across Cambridgeshire. Children are referred by their school, with parents’ agreement, when they need additional support for emotional or behavioural difficulties. Crucially, children are typically seen within weeks of referral – far quicker than statutory services can offer.

Recognising the need to extend their reach, Blue Smile applied to Cambridgeshire Community Foundation for support. They received funding through the S2 Partnership Community Fund, enabling them to expand their Outreach Service and bring timely, school-based therapy to more children.

Through arts-based approaches and play, children were encouraged to explore their feelings and process their experiences. Drawing, painting, modelling, games and role-play helped children express things that can be hard to put into words, in a safe and age-appropriate way.

Lilly’s story

To protect the child’s confidentiality, her name has been changed and identifiable details removed.

Lilly’s world turned upside-down with the sudden loss of her mother. Struggling with grief, her behaviour in school became challenging. Sometimes she seemed detached and emotionally numb; at other times she would seek attention in disruptive ways.

In her therapy sessions, Lilly found talking about her feelings difficult. But through drawing, she began to communicate what was going on inside. A recurring image was a house – often isolated, sometimes falling apart. Like her life, it felt unstable and frightening.

Gently, Lilly and her therapist began to explore her inner world through art and play. Lilly would often revert to baby talk and infant-like play, trying to reclaim the care and safety she had lost. Slowly, she began to make sense of the chaos inside her. In her weekly sessions, she felt safe and supported — able to start processing her loss, a small but significant step towards healing. Life without her mum was still hard, but she felt less alone.

You can watch an animated version of Lilly’s story here.

The impact of Blue Smile’s work is perhaps best measured not in session numbers, but in the words of the children, families and teachers who experience it firsthand. “Blue Smile has made me a bit calmer around other people,” said one child. “People have noticed I’ve changed… it has helped me to be understood.” For another, the shift was simple: “it’s easier to get to school, trust adults at school and notice feelings.”

That change doesn’t stay in the therapy room. Parents describe watching their children grow in confidence – one noting that their daughter was now able to have lunch with friends in the school hall, something that had once felt impossible. “Blue Smile has put a big smile on us,” said another. “It has made a huge difference in our whole family’s life.”

For teachers, the value lies in understanding as much as transformation. “Blue Smile is an excellent source of support,” said one, “which gives children a safe and regular space to explore their emotions.” It is exactly this kind of early, sustained intervention – reaching children before difficulties become entrenched – that makes the S2 Partnership Community Fund’s support so significant.

“
Blue Smile has put a big smile on us. It has made a huge difference in our whole family’s life
”
Parent

Could you support a local project?

What our community needs Support our work Apply for a grant