A leading children's counsellor is urging the government to implement urgent support for the increasing number of children suffering mental health issues in schools and the community.

NSPCC's Kent community fundraising manager Michele Baxter, who works with the Gillingham-based service and national Childline charity, said it was vital that every child had access to this service to "prevent problems escalating".

Her plea comes during Children's Mental Health Week, which started on Monday, after some experts described young people in lockdown suffering anxiety, depression and loneliness as the "lost generation".

Mrs Baxter said: "Bridging the digital divide so children are connected during lockdown is also vital.

"This is not just important for pupils' education but also so they can access support and services that we know make a difference to their safety and wellbeing, including their mental health."

Mrs Baxter is not surprised that the latest figures show that one in six children have been impacted during the pandemic.

The mum-of-one said the number of calls from anxious youngsters and parents had fluctuated throughout the year but peaked when Covid restrictions had been tightened.

Mrs Baxter offers the following advice to parents and carers concerned about their child's wellbeing:

• Encourage your child to talk to you or another trusted adult about how they’re feeling.

• Create structure and routine. A very turbulent 2020 meant that for many families, keeping a normal routine was incredibly difficult. As we continue to face increased periods of time at home and enter another national lockdown, try introducing a rota or loose timetable that includes fun things you are doing during the week. Structure can help create a feeling of stability, which can alleviate anxiety.

• Give children a sense of control. Uncertainty about the future can be stressful, but knowing that we don’t always have all the answers is reassuring too. There are lots of free online tools and resources that can help children work through their worries. Childline has advice on coronavirus and lots of tools to help alleviate anxiety.

• Help your child to manage stress. Before attempting to fix the problem, try to really listen to what is concerning your child and ask them how they might like to tackle the problem moving forwards. Let them know that difficult things are going to happen which can cause us to feel like we can’t cope and that is OK, it’s how we manage these feelings and move forwards that’s important. Carving out time to relax is a great way to deal with stress. Physical activity can really help too and being outside doing any activity they enjoy. All these things can break the stress-worry-anxiety cycle.

• Limit screen time and mix up activities. Whilst the online world provides a great way for us to connect and stay in touch with friends and family, it’s important that young people also engage in activities that are off the screen too. This can increase a feeling of connection with others, which can help to limit isolation and loneliness.

Mrs Baxter said recognising symptoms can be hard, particularly in teenagers who tend to keep their feelings to themselves.

She said: "It’s also natural for children or young people to feel stressed or anxious about things like exams or moving to a new school.

"But while these experiences can be very difficult, they’re different from longer term depression or anxiety, which affect how a child or young person feels every day.

"It can help to think about what’s normal for your child and if you’ve noticed signs that they’ve been behaving differently recently."

"They have had something taken away, given something back and now it has been taken away again, which is traumatic, a roller-coaster."

She added: "During the first lockdown it was a bit of an adventure, a novelty being at home.

"Now the weather is gloomy and children just want to be back with their friends.

"They have had something taken away, given something back and now it has been taken away again, which is traumatic, a roller-coaster."

For more information and advice visit the NSPCC website by clicking here.

For Childline, call 0800 11 11 or visit www.childline.org.uk

For support, advice, events and all things to do with parenting in Kent, visit My Kent Family here.