Mental Health
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Bi-borough School Health Service (School Nursing)
Our service provides schools with qualified nurses and access to practitioners who are experts in mental health, relationship and sex education, safeguarding, and clinical education. The service works with schools, families, and children, offering assessments and guidance on issues.
All schools will have access to a named school nurse, who will support with:
•Advice to schools, parents and carers on health concerns, including emotional and mental health.
•Delivering training to teachers on specific medical conditions.
•Group sessions and classroom-based sessions, as well as an individual drop-in service.
•Safeguarding support.
•Health promotions assemblies, coffee mornings and parent’s evenings.
•Duty line to offer support and advice to children, families, schools and other professionals.
Age: 5-19 years
Cost: free
Referral information
A referral form will need to be completed, and this can be shared with your named school nurse. Schools must gain consent from the child’s parent or carer before making a referral. You can find referral forms and information via this link: How to make a referral | CNWL School Health Service
Link for further information: School Health Services Home Page | CNWL School Health Service
Contact: If you have any questions, you can contact your named nurse or email/call the service. See contact details here.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
We provide specialist NHS support for children, young people, families, and carers with emotional, psychological, and mental health needs. Support can be provided either to an individual, family or group. CAMHS will work with schools to support young people. Our service consists of specialist clinicians, therapists and nurses. This includes:
- Arts therapists who develop ways to communicate thoughts and feelings through art.
- Child psychotherapists who offer longer and in-depth therapy to understand a child’s experience.
- Family therapists who can support families experiencing difficulties.
- CAMHS nurses who are specially trained ‘talking nurses’ that work with young people and families in managing and improving mental health. They are very good at listening and talking about things that upset young people.
- Primary mental health workers who work in clinics, schools and homes with children who are having problems with their thoughts, feelings or behaviour.
- Psychiatrists who are doctors who are specially trained to work with and help young people with mental health problems.
- Psychologists that can support with any difficulties with how a young person is feeling, behaving or thinking.
Age: up to 18 years old
Cost: Free
Referral information
A referral form will need to be completed. Any professional can refer a child or young person (school, GP, social worker); schools are encouraged to make a referral, sharing insights into the child’s presentation. The referral form and details about the process can be found online here.
Link for further information: Westminster information and Kensington and Chelsea information
Contact: If you have any questions about the service or referral process you can contact the following.
WCC- 020 3317 5999 – 9:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday [email protected]
RBKC- 020 3317 3599 – 9:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday [email protected]
WCL MIND Mental Health School Support Teams (MHST)
We are an NHS funded service that offers early support across all primary and secondary schools in the Bi-borough. We help children with mild to moderate mental health needs such as anxiety, low mood or behavioural difficulties, and refer higher need cases to appropriate services. The teams work with schools to support mental health by working with students, families, and school staff. The support is delivered either as 1:1, group based or a whole school approach. Evidence-based interventions are delivered by mental health practitioners for parents/carers of primary aged children and for young people in secondary schools. The Whole School Approach addresses mental health themes by providing psychoeducational workshops for young people, parents/carers, and school staff on a variety of mental health and wellbeing topics relevant for the school.
Age: 5-18 years old
Cost: Free
Referral information
Referrals for 1:1 work need to be made by the school’s Designated Mental Health Lead. Young people over 16 can self-refer via the school mental health lead or by using the website.
Link for further information: Westminster information and Kensington and Chelsea information
Contact: If you have any questions about the service email [email protected]
KOOTH
KOOTH is an online counselling and emotional wellbeing support service which provides qualified counsellors who offer safe and anonymous online support. The service is run by a professional team of qualified counsellors who can support children and young people.
Age: 11-25
Cost: Free
Referral information
No referral is required. This is online support that can be accessed for free by visiting the KOOTH website.