Mental health and wellbeing
Information for Parents & Carers
Resources for children and young people with learning disabilities:
Children and young people with learning disabilities can feel a loss of control in times of uncertainty. They may need more support or adapted explanations about the pandemic. See the easy-read COVID-19 guide to looking after your feelings and your body for ideas:
For useful tips for talking about feelings, see Skills for Care advice:
https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Documents/Topics/Learning-disability/Mental-health/Top-tips-feelings.pdf
Every Mind Matters includes an online tool and email journey which aims to support everyone to feel more confident in taking action to look after their mental health and wellbeing. It also includes a section for parents and carers on looking after children and young people during the outbreak and how to support children being back at school:
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/
The Government’s guidance on supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, provides advice for parents and carers on looking after the mental health and wellbeing of children or young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing
NHS England has published advice for parents, guardians and carers on how to help and support a child or young person with mental ill health:
Kirklees Services Directory:
Thriving Kirklees includes Northorpe Hall, NHS South West Yorkshire Partnership, Locala, Home Start, Yorkshire Children’s Centre – 0300 304 5555 (Chat Health text for parent/carers 07520 618867, for young people 07520 618866 https://www.thrivingkirklees.org.uk/
SALT – Concerns with speech and language for young people: https://www.locala.org.uk/your-healthcare/childrens-speech-language-therapy/
KIAS – Information, advice and support relating to a young person aged 0-25’s special educational needs or disability (0300 3301504) http://www.kias.org.uk/
SEND – Kirklees Local Offer – gives children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs or disabilities, and their families information about what is available in Kirklees across education, health and social care; www.kirkleeslocaloffer.org.uk
Kirklees Safeguarding Children’s Board – https://www.kirkleessafeguardingchildren.co.uk/
For Young People under 19
KOOTH – Free, safe and anonymous online counselling support for 11+ www.kooth.com
Barnardos Young Carers – young carers 8-18 years (01484 426100) http://www.barnardos.org.uk/kirklees-young-carers/service-view.htm?id=242341151
yOUTh Services Brunswick Centre – HIV support and LGBT Project supporting young people and their parents/carers (01484 541589) https://www.thebrunswickcentre.org.uk/services/youth-services
The Base – drug and alcohol support service for people up to 21yrs old and support for parents and carers. They also have a Hidden Harm Project providing support for young people who have concerns about parent /carers struggling with drug/alcohol issues (01484 541589) Alice Quarterless-Oates is the NTH lead for this. https://kirkleesinrecovery.com/services/cgl-thebase/
Luke’s Lads – Mental Health Support groups for males ages 11+ to 15 in addition to adults https://www.lukeslads.co.uk
Butterflies – Mental Health Support Group for females ages 11+ to 15 in addition to adults https://www.butterfliesmentalhealth.co.uk/
Yorkshire Children’s Trust – Primarily set up by parents to support families of children with cancer, they now offer counselling for children and young people. They also offer respite breaks for families. https://www.yctrust.uk/
General Resources for emotional and mental wellbeing (A-Z)
ADHD Foundation - https://www.adhdfoundation.org.uk/
Anna Freud - is a children's charity dedicated to providing training & support for child mental health services; https://www.annafreud.org/
Anxiety Canada – Formerly Anxiety BC providing information and strategies around anxiety, including the Mindshift app; www.anxietycanada.com
B-EAT – Website providing advice and support for eating disorders; www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk
Blurt – Website increasing awareness and understanding of depression; https://www.blurtitout.org/
BRAKE – The road safety charity; http://www.brake.org.uk/
British Association for Anger Management (BAAM) – Provides support for those struggling with anger; https://www.beatinganger.com/
Build Sound Minds – is a campaign for improving young people's emotional wellbeing. They offer advice on how to support children and personal self-care. Explores how to help children understand their feelings, and what they can do to manage them; https://minds.actionforchildren.org.uk/
Bullying UK – Part of Family Lives providing advice and support around bullying for all ages; https://www.bullying.co.uk/
Calm - Support for young men; www.thecalmzone.net
Calm Harm App – A phone app providing help for young people who use self-harm as a coping strategy; https://calmharm.co.uk/
CBT Self-help – Self-help resources; https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/selfhelp.htm
Child Bereavement UK - supports families and educates professionals when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement; https://www.childbereavementuk.org/
Childhood Bereavement Network - is the hub for those working with bereaved children, young people and their families across the UK. http://www.childhoodbereavementnetwork.org.uk/
Child Line – 24/7 support service via phone and online chat; 0800 1111 (www.childline.org.uk)
COPMI (Children of Parents with a mental illness)- Promoting better outcomes for children and families where a parent experiences mental illness; http://www.copmi.net.au/
CRUSE – Bereavement support for families 0808 8081677 https://www.cruse.org.uk/about-cruse with HOPE AGAIN for young people http://www.hopeagain.org.uk/
Ditch the Label – is one of the largest anti-bullying charities in the world, working endlessly to end bullying and to support young people aged 12-25; https://www.ditchthelabel.org/
Elefriends – A safe online forum for young people struggling with issues https://www.elefriends.org.uk/
Elsa Support – Resources around managing emotions for primary children; www.elsa-support.co.uk
Epic Friends - Mental health issues with young people are common. This site is all about helping young people help their friends who might be struggling to cope emotionally; https://epicfriends.co.uk/
ERIC – Information on bladder and bowel issues; https://www.eric.org.uk/
ESCAYP – counselling and therapeutic play for young people aged 3-21 years across West Yorkshire (01274 878117) https://www.escayp.org.uk/
Every Mind Matters - Having good mental health helps us relax more, achieve more and enjoy our lives more. There are simple things we can all do to look after our mental health and wellbeing – take our quiz to get started today with a free plan, expert advice and practical tips. https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/
Family Lives – Parenting and family support; https://www.familylives.org.uk/
HandsOn - provides help and practical advice for supporting children and young people's mental health and emotional wellbeing; https://www.handsonscotland.co.uk/
Heads Together – Website bringing together partner charities to tackle mental health issues head on; www.headstogether.org.uk
They also have a help line; https://www.giveusashout.org/
Healthy Place – A website providing information about various mental health issues; https://www.healthyplace.com/
Hearing Voices Network – A small national charity raising awareness and providing information about hearing voices; http://www.hearing-voices.org/
Internet Matters – Support for parents around internet safety; https://www.internetmatters.org/advice/
Jessica Kingsley Publishers – Publishing website with resources for autism and other related conditions; https://www.jkp.com/uk/
Karma Nirvana – Supporting victims of honour-based abuse: https://karmanirvana.org.uk/
Mental Health Foundation - is a UK charity, whose mission is "to help people to thrive through understanding, protecting, and sustaining their mental health." https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/
Mind – The mental health charity providing support and advice; https://www.mind.org.uk/
MindEd - Online courses around different mental health issues and support for families; https://www.minded.org.uk/
Mood Café – Information and resources to promote mental health; https://www.moodcafe.co.uk/
Mood Juice - a website with self-help resources supporting young people’s emotional and mental wellbeing; https://www.moodjuice.scot.nhs.uk/
My Happy Mind - helps primary schools, nurseries, and families to create a positive mental wellbeing culture in which children build resilience, self-esteem, and character; https://myhappymind.org/
National Autistic Society - https://www.autism.org.uk/
National Self Harm Network – Providing resources and a forum to support people who self-harm; http://www.nshn.co.uk/
NHS Self-help Leaflets – Self-help leaflets covering a variety of mental wellbeing issues; https://web.ntw.nhs.uk/selfhelp/
Not fine in school - is a parent-led organisation supporting families experiencing school refusal & attendance difficulties & raising awareness of related issues; https://notfineinschool.org.uk/
NSPCC – Supporting young people in every area of their lives; 0808 800 5000 www.nspcc.org.uk
OCD UK – The national OCD charity, run by and for people with lived experience of OCD; https://www.ocduk.org/
PACE (Parents against child sexual exploitation) – helps parents fight to keep their children safe; https://paceuk.info/
Papyrus – Website promoting the prevention of young suicide; https://papyrus-uk.org/ HOPELineUK - Prevention of young suicide helpline – 0800 068 41 41
Place 2 Be – Promoting the wellbeing of children in schools; https://www.place2be.org.uk/
Princes Trust – is a youth charity that helps young people aged 11 to 30 get into jobs, education and training; https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/
Raising an Extraordinary Person – Supporting families of young people with autism and ADHD; https://hes-extraordinary.com/
Richmond Fellowship – promoting mental health recovery; https://www.richmondfellowship.org.uk/
Samaritans - is a registered charity aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, often through their telephone helpline 0800 116 123; https://www.samaritans.org/
Self-harm UK – is a project dedicated to supporting young people impacted by self-harm, providing a safe space to talk, ask any questions and be honest about their feelings. Also provides a 6-week online course called Alumina; https://www.selfharm.co.uk/
The Children Sleep Charity – Supports children with sleep issues; https://www.thechildrenssleepcharity.org.uk/
The Mix - Free information and support for under 25s in the UK. Get advice about sex, relationships, drugs, mental health, money & jobs. https://www.themix.org.uk/
The Sleep Council – Organisation raising the awareness of the importance of a good night’s sleep; https://sleepcouncil.org.uk/
Therapist Aid - Free worksheets, treatment guides, and videos for mental health professionals. Topics include CBT, anger management, self-esteem, relaxation, and more; https://www.therapistaid.com/
Time to Change – Website about ending mental health discrimination; www.time-to-change.org.uk
Unravel Support – supporting mental health in young people by helping unravel children and young people’s emotional and behavioural difficulties for improved wellbeing and happier lives; https://unravelsupport.co.uk/
Winston’s Wish – Online and telephone bereavement support for young people (Freephone: 08088 020021) https://www.winstonswish.org/
Young Minds – The UK’s leading mental health charity supporting young people and families; https://youngminds.org.uk/
Below you will find Links to external websites offering parental support and guidance
on how best to support your child and where to find further advise and support.
Supporting our families through the Coronavirus outbreak.
Every Mind Matters now has a Mental Health and Self-care for Young People section with videos with top tips on exercise, sleep and how to take care of yourself on social media:
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/youth-mental-health/
NHS England has published advice for children and young people who may be feeling overwhelmed:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/blog/what-to-do-if-youre-a-young-person-and-its-all-getting-too-much/
A downloadable guide for children and young people about the coronavirus has been made available by the Children’s Commissioner and includes proactive advice to support mental wellbeing:
https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/report/childrens-guide-to-coronavirus/
Several different workshops supporting mental health are being delivered by Northorpe Hall over the coming weeks, some for children and young people and some for parents and carers. These will be held via Zoom video conferencing. Please click the link below for further details and to book yourself or your child a place.
https://chewsnews.northorpehall.co.uk/workshops.php
During this time, many of us may be experiencing a range of emotions. To support young people with this, Young Minds have released this information:
https://youngminds.org.uk/blog/what-to-do-if-you-re-anxious-about-coronavirus/
As adults, it is also important for us to take care of ourselves. This website may be useful:
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/
You may also find information on the following website particularly useful. The Young Minds A-Z covers a wide-range of areas including anxiety, anger, gender identity, divorce, self-esteem and much more. It is available on our website or via the direct link below:
https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/for-parents/parents-guide-to-support-a-z/
Please note there is also a Parent Contact section that includes a telephone number as well as contact form:
https://youngminds.org.uk/contact-us/
Corona virus social stories
Elsa Support Corona stories
https://www.elsa-support.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Story-about-Coronavirus.pdf
Helping children understand coronavirus - https://hes-extraordinary.com/teach-kids-about-coronavirus?fbclid=IwAR0wBrFK1CFGVR1wDann0pfXC8k6Df5qzGXeY4zU9qR4RzFA1XiD74KjSxw
https://positivepsychology.com/the-crisis-kit/?utm_campaign=enormail&utm_source=enormail&utm_medium=email&utm_content='The%20Crisis%20Kit’
Adult wellbeing
Coronavirus, how to protect your mental health –