Emotional wellbeing and mental health support

 The Kensington and Chelsea School Health Service staff are trained to identify risk factors for mental health and emotional well-being early in children and young  people. This includes trauma informed practice training, youth mental health first aid and internal mental health training offered by the Mental Health lead to all nurses in the service.

 School Nurses will support children and young people who present or are referred with mental health and emotional well-being problems.  Following assessment and package of care School Nurses will refer children and young people who present with more complex mental  health and emotional well-being problems to the CAMHS Service.   

 School Nurses will support schools and assist to:

• Create an environment to promote emotional wellbeing and mental health and make services accessible and approachable within the school environment.
• Support staff emotional wellbeing and mental health training for staff 
• Work with schools to develop a whole family approach to emotional well-being and mental health

 The Kensington and Chelsea School Health Service includes Emotional and Mental Health Lead who provides training and supervision for School Nurses and the wider team.

 Emotional and Mental Health Lead and Mental Health in Schools Nurse deliver emotional and mental health training and support to schools in the borough.

 The Kensington and Chelsea School Health service receives all emergency department attendance for children in the local authority maintained schools between ages of 5 and 18. All A and E notifications are triaged and support is offered by the duty nurse and ongoing support and advice are provided by the named school nurse for the child’s school. A and E data is analysed by the Mental Health Lead and schools with higher levels of children presenting with mental health emergencies are offered support and training.

Kensington and Chelsea School Health Service Contact Details:

Website: https://www.schoolhealth.cnwl.nhs.uk/   Duty line: 020 3317 4460

Email: [email protected]

We Got U, U Got This is a website where you can find support and services for mental health if you are a young person. There’s loads online that can help, but there are also services close to you that can support you no matter what you’re struggling with. We know you got this, just know that we’ve also got you.

Visit the page here.

The Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster KCW Under 5s Service offers specialist treatment and consultation to both parents and professionals aimed at improving the wellbeing of children under five years old.

The team consists of therapists who usually meet with families in children’s centres within Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster. Families can also be seen in their local clinic if this is more convenient for them.  Sessions are also available remotely, by phone or video.

Many children will have difficulties as part of ordinary development, but if problems start to take over everyday life, or parents feel they are not enjoying parenting, or struggling to parent their child, then they may find it helpful to speak to someone from the Under 5s Service

Please click here for more information about this service

Youth Mental Health workers from Mind offer preventative and early intervention support for young people to address mental health, friendship or issues relating to youth violence.

You can find us at the following youth clubs in Kensington & Chelsea: Rugby Portobello Trust, Lancaster Youth Hub, Harrow Club, Chelsea Youth Club. and Earls Court Youth Club.

For more information please click here, or contact: Contact: Denny, [email protected]

The Grenfell Health and Wellbeing service aims to work alongside you in a way that is tailored to you, your family and community.  Our offer includes a range of different therapies and groups, as well as collaborating with communities to develop and deliver community-based projects which promote wellbeing.  Click here to find out more.

CAMHS

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services are for children and young people aged 0-18 and their families who are experiencing a range of emotional and behavioural difficulties or suffering psychiatric disorders. 

Most of the services are provided in the community and are delivered by the Central and North West London NHS Trust. 

You can find out more about the service by clicking here. 

Westminster CAMHS: 7a Woodfield Road London W9 2NW

Tel: 020 3317 5999 Email: [email protected]

Kensington and Chelsea CAMHS: 1B Beatrice Place Marloes Road London W8 5LP

Tel: 020 3317 3599, Email: [email protected]

Kooth

An online counselling and emotional wellbeing support service providing young people aged 11-25 with free, safe and anonymous online support. The service is run by a professional team of qualified counsellors, and requires no referrals and has no waiting times. Kooth provides counselling, advice, a peer support forum and has many articles on a range of emotional wellbeing issues

You can find out more about the service by clicking here. 

Contact Daya Mangat at [email protected] for more information.

The Mix has a free, confidential phone line, webchat and crisis text line, to help refer young people to the best possible help, whatever problem they are facing.

Tel: 0808 808 4994 , 3pm -12 am everyday.

Under 18s helpline, webchat and online support groups for people with eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia. If you call our Helpline you will speak to a trained support worker experienced in listening and talking to people in a similar situation to you. Our Helplines are open 365 days a year from 9am–midnight during the week, and 4pm–midnight on weekends and bank holidays.

Call on 0808 801 0677

Mind's infoline provides an information and signposting service. They are open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays).

Infoline: 0300 123 3393

Email: [email protected]

Young Minds Crisis Messanger 

•  This is free, 24/7 crisis support across the UK if you are experiencing a mental health crisis. If you need urgent help text YM to 85258. All texts are free and answered by trained volunteers, with support from experienced clinical supervisors.

Parents Helpline: 

• Call our Parents Helpline for detailed advice, emotional support and signposting about a child or young person up to the age of 25. Call us for free on 0808 802 5544 from 9:30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Working with local organisations, Change4Life Kensington and Chelsea supports children, young people and families and aims to make it easier for children and young people to eat well and be active.

The Change4Life service aims to ensure that children, young people and families across Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster are supported to be healthy and happy in the communities where they live, learn and play. The Change4Life service is here to support expectant parents, children and young people aged 0-19 (or 25yrs for young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND)), and their families to eat well and keep active.

We offer a wide range of services, including workforce training and development – please click on each of the tabs below or download our service leaflet to find out more.

Contact us today, Monday-Friday 9am-9pm:

Phone:0808 802 666

Text: 07537 404 282

Email: [email protected]

The Single Point of Access provides one number (0800 0234 650) for self-referrals and professional referrals to secondary mental health services and support in a mental health crisis.  The team consists of qualified clinicians who are knowledgeable about different services and options. This helps callers to be directed to the most appropriate service to meet their needs.  The team provides advice and guidance through a triage process, where the urgency of care required is assessed. The team also have the ability to make appointments for new referrals to see one of our community mental health teams. Please click here for more information. 

To talk about anything that is upsetting you, you can contact Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can call 116 123 (free from any phone), email [email protected] or visit some branches in person. You can also call the Samaritans Welsh Language Line on 0808 164 0123 (7pm–11pm every day).

Kensington and Chelsea Mental Health Support Teams deliver preventative, evidence based, early intervention support to children and families in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea.

Our Westminster Mental Health support teams (MHST) works with 44 schools across Westminster. Additionally, we're delivering 'Be Kind' to 20 schools in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea that don’t have MHST. We work in partnership with a Bi-Borough Educational Psychology Service to support children and young people with additional needs.

We also deliver a mental health youth worker service in 10 Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea youth clubs.

You can find out more about the service by clicking here 

Talking Therapies is part of the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service. It is a free and confidential NHS service for people aged 16 and over who are registered with a GP in Kensington and Chelsea, Queen’s Park and Paddington. You can ask your GP to refer you, or you can refer yourself easily online or by phone (details included in this leaflet).

Talking Therapies (IAPT) provides a range of support if you are:

• experiencing difficult emotions such as low mood, worry or stress

• feeling overwhelmed by anxiety

• struggling with depression, or

• having trouble sleeping because of intrusive thoughts. You can learn ways to improve your wellbeing and have the space to think about your difficulties and find ways to manage them better

Please click here to download our leaflet for more information.

Please click here to find out more about this service

The Children and Young People's mental health and wellbeing plan for 2022-24 can be found on the following link.

This resource is the Young Adults (16 – 25s) Mental Health and Wellbeing Space for the NHS in Central and North West London.

Find the page here.

Mental health is just like physical health, everybody has it, and it’s important to take care of it. Growing up isn’t always easy. Children and young people face a lot of challenges and it can be difficult to cope with everything life throws at you.
Feeling down some of the time is normal, but if you want to talk to someone about your thoughts or feelings, there are plenty of routes you can take. This guide aims to help you find the support and advice for whatever it is you’re going through.

Young Healthwatch: Have put together some useful guidance and resources about mental health which you can find on their website. 

Tools for Managing Emotions: These tools are designed to help children understand and manage their emotions and feelings and stay calm and in control in the classroom. This resource is designed to be used with individual pupils and is suitable for children aged 7 and up. 

Knowing your Mental Health: This guide aims to help you find the support and advice for whatever it is you’re going through.

Self-Care Summer Booklet (Secondary): Ideas for self-care that you can apply beyond the Summer holidays.

Resilience Activity Ladder: This resource is designed to be used with individual children to help them to highlight a goal and break it down into smaller achievable steps, that they identify themselves.

Resilience Game: This game explores common scenarios that children may encounter in their day-to-day life at home, or at school.

ChildLine’s Calm Zone: Try breathing exercises, activities, games and videos to help let go of stress here.

Safety Net: A guide to going back to school for older children with tips on reducing anxiety and what to expect in the 'new normal' school environment.

Resilience Games for children up to 6yrs can be found here

Ava's Top 10 Tips: Ava, a member of the Westminster Youth Council has produced some top tips for other young people to think about when returning to school.

Alternatively, you can also click here to see the list of urgent mental health services 24/7 crisis line. 

Every mental health trust in London has put in place a 24/7 crisis line for people of all ages - children, young people and adults. The lines which are free to call can provide advice to those in a crisis. The crisis lines are supported by trained mental health advisors 365 days a year. You can find the 24/7 crisis line numbers using the NHS Service Finder (link above) but the table provides all of the telephone numbers in London.

The resources below are designed to help you understand this relationship, how you can recognise the start of mental health problems in yourself or a loved one, and where you can go for support. 

Mental Health Foundation: Children and Young People with Learning Disabilities and Their Mental Health - information pack for understanding the mental health needs of children and young people with learning disabilities. 

Mencap – Mental Health for People with a Learning Disability - information on identification and treatment of mental ill health in people with learning disabilities

The Shaw Mind Foundation – Information on Mental Health for Children and Young People with Disabilities - information resource on mental health needs in children and young people with learning and/or physical disabilities

National Autistic Society – Mental Health for People with Autism - information on the common mental health illnesses experienced by people living with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Are you over 18 and want to talk with a trained counsellor or perhaps create a space just for you to build your own mental health and wellbeing toolkit? 

With Qwell, you can access free, safe and anonymous support through an online mental health community provided by qualified practitioners.   There are no waiting lists and you can access this service from any internet connected device - no downloads necessary; qualified practitioners are available weekdays from 12 noon to 10pm and from 6pm to 10pm on weekends. 

Create a free account, talk to a qualified professional online, connect with other young adults, or discover self-help tips and tricks.

Qwell Chat and Messaging functions can get you in touch with a qualified practitioner who can talk through anything that’s bothering you and offer support and advice. 

Qwell also includes discussion boards where you can start or join a conversation with other members on all sorts of things, from anxiety to relationship advice or tips for relaxing after a stressful day. The Goals tab allows you to set your own personal goals and track progress.

No waiting lists. No problem too big or too small. Speak with a counsellor today. 

Visit https://www.qwell.io/ or click here for more information.

These services are provided by Kooth and supported by the NHS for anyone who resides in North West London.

Total Family Coaching provides family support and parenting advice through one-to-one family coaching and a range of parenting groups. It is open to families living in Kensington & Chelsea. For further information, contact: 07397 871877 or email: [email protected]. Website: https://www.totalfamilycoaching.co.uk/

Community Living Well Talking Therapies (Kensington and Chelsea IAPT and Westminster IAPT) offers brief evidence-based interventions (talking therapies) for anxiety and depression. This includes guided self-help, CBT, counselling and couples’ therapy. Reasonable adaptations are made for autistic people. Individuals can self-refer via our website https://communitylivingwell.co.uk/ or can be referred by GP or other health professional. The service is free, available 8-8 Mon - Thurs and 9-5 Fri, at 15 Gertrude Street SW10 0JN, the St Charles Centre for Health and Wellbeing (W10 6DZ), or remotely.

Contact Lucy Wilson-Shaw by emailing [email protected] for more information regarding Kensington and Chelsea.

Contact James Gray by emailing [email protected] for more information regarding Westminster.

West London Action for Children provides therapy and Counselling for Vulnerable Children and young people in Kensington & Chelsea (and Hammersmith and Fulham). The service predominantly sees families on low income/family tax credit. For further information contact: 

15 Gertrude Street, London, Tel: 020 7352 1155. Website: www.wlac.org.uk