Are We Treating Children’s Mental Health Too Late? With Ali Knowles & Karl Bennett

Are we supporting children’s mental health effectively, or are we waiting until they reach crisis point before offering help? In this honest and thought-provoking conversation, Karl Bennett speaks with Ali Knowles, creator of the Ollie Model, about the urgent need to rethink how we approach children’s emotional wellbeing. Governments and organisations spend billions on mental health services, yet families continue to face long waiting lists, confusing pathways and support that may focus on the visible behaviour without fully understanding what is happening beneath it. Ali and Karl explore: • Why prevention must begin before a child needs therapy • The danger of giving children several conflicting therapeutic approaches • Why emotions should be made simple, tangible and manageable • How parents, carers and teachers can use one consistent emotional language • Why supporting the whole family can create lasting change • How Employee Assistance Programmes may help parents access support without long NHS waiting lists • Why asking for help is not a sign of being a bad parent The Ollie Model helps children understand that their emotions are superpowers. By giving children and the adults around them practical tools, it aims to build emotional resilience, confidence and self-understanding before difficulties become overwhelming. As Ali says, the goal is not to keep children in therapy indefinitely. It is to give children and families the tools to understand what is happening, regain control and manage life’s inevitable curveballs together. If your child is struggling, speak to their school, employer or HR team and ask what support is available. If your workplace provides an Employee Assistance Programme, ask whether it includes support for children and families. Please share this conversation with a parent, teacher, employer or decision-maker who needs to hear it. #ChildrensMentalHealth #EarlyIntervention #MentalHealthSupport #EmotionalWellbeing #ParentSupport #EmployeeAssistanceProgramme #OllieAndHisSuperPowers #OllieModel #AliKnowles #KarlBennett