Support for children
We have put together this page to help others to see that there is a wide range of support out there for anyone who is struggling with their feelings, their emotions, their moods = their mental-health.
Please remember, you are never alone, and if you ever need it, something in this list may be of help to you.
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Anna Freud A collection of resources aiming to empower young people to make informed choices about their mental health & wellbeing. Here you will find self-care ideas, information on treatment options, support, rights, loss and bereavement, helping others, understanding referrals, managing social media and where you can find urgent help if needed.
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B.R.A.V.E Service Provides short-term therapeutic support to help children and young people navigate challenges such as low mood, anxiety, emotional dysregulation, and self-harming behaviours.
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Childline A wealth of resources including a mood tracker, advice pages, videos, fun things to do, but most importantly ways you can chat on the phone, online or by email with someone who may be able to help.
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CHUMS bereavement support service. CHUMS offer specialist bereavement support to children and young people from 31⁄2 up until their 26th birthday in Kent and Medway.
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Give us a shout. A free, confidential, 24/7 text support service for anyone in the UK who is struggling to cope. Trained Shout Volunteers are here to listen at any time of day or night and messages won't appear on phone bills.
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Emerge Youth support workers who can come and support someone in hospital or once they have been discharged.
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Eating disorders An NHS specialist Service that aims to bring hope and confidence, through help and support, to those (and their families) who have an eating disorder.
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DocReady Tools to help you prepare for the first time you visit a doctor to discuss your mental health. There is info and advice and a checklist you may find helpful.
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Kooth A free anonymous space for young people to find online support and counselling. There are also tools to support if advice is needed or if someone is not feeling their best.
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Kent School Health. Supporting children aged 4-19. Help with a range of issues including: day and night-time wetting and soiling, sleep, behaviour, healthy lifestyles, puberty and growing up.
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Hub of Hope The UK's largest mental health support directory. Whether you want to find a service to help you feel better or you want to support someone who is struggling, this website may help.
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Health for teens. New and different way for young people aged 11-19 to learn about their health. Features bite-sized information on a comprehensive range of physical and emotional health topics for teenagers, including healthy eating, body image, managing stress, advice on relationships, puberty, sexuality and much more.
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Health and wellbeing for children with SEND Listing various services, organisations and charities there to help.
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Mental wellbeing audio guides. From the NHS: On this page there are a series of mental wellbeing audio guides to listen to, to help boost moods, how to cope with anxiety, sleep problems, low confidence, unhelpful thinking, stress busters and so much more.
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Mood Spark A space created by young people for young people to help navigate and learn about emotions.
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NHS Oxford Health A pack of resources containing a range of activities suitable for children in primary school to promote and support positive mental health and reduce stigma.
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Kent and Medway Children and Young People's Mental Health Service (CYPMHS). Provides an extensive range of integrated community and mental health services for young people.
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Reading Well. Reading Well supports you to understand and manage your health and wellbeing using helpful reading. Reading Well books are all recommended by health experts, as well as people with lived experience of the conditions and topics covered and their relatives and carers.
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Samaritans. Whatever you're going through, a Samaritan will face it with you. We're here 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
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Better Health: Every Mind Matters. There's loads of things we can all do to look after our mental wellbeing, and taking any time you can for self-care is massively important. Knowing what steps we can take to support our mental wellbeing can help us feel better, sleep better and have better relationships with the people around us – and that goes not just for today but for the future too. Here you can find videos for all sorts of tips on exercise, sleep and how to take care of yourself on social media. You will also find links to more support for specific groups of people who may be finding things tough, have additional needs, or are facing a specific issue.
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Single Point of Access A centralised service, that acts as a single entry for people to get help, advice, and referrals to various specialised services, preventing the need to contact multiple agencies and simplifying the process, especially for urgent needs like mental health crises or children's needs.
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Young Minds. A website is full of advice and information to give young people the tools to look after their mental health. We empower parents and professionals to be the best support they can be to the young people in their lives. And we give young people the space and confidence to get their voices heard and change the world we live in. Together, we can create a world where no young person feels alone with their mental health.
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The Mix. 24/7 support that can be accessed by live chat, text, signing up for free counselling from a trained team, joining a support group, joining an online community through discussion boards and videos/guides on a whole host of topics.