Mental Wellbeing for Parents and Carers of Children and Young People
Please note: none of the support groups listed below offer emergency crisis support.
If you are at all concerned for the health of yourself, friend or relative and need immediate help,
please use one of these services:
In an emergency:
Call 999
Go to your local A&E department
If you or someone you know is in crisis:
Contact The Samaritans www.samaritans.org or call 116 123 (free to call from within the UK and Ireland), 24 hours a day
Use the Shout crisis text line: text SHOUT to 85258
Visit: www.giveusashout.org
The Resilient Living Educational Series is an opportunity for members of the FOP community to come together to learn about ways to incorporate habits that support their mental and physical well-being in their day-to-day living.
This is a series of webinars and activities to support those living with FOP develop their own resilience. Read more: Resilient Living Program
Download 10 Top Tips for Resilient Living
Over The Wall
Over The Wall is a UK based charity for children and young people with health challenges and disabilities to discover a world of mischief and magic. They provide a safe place to step outside of comfort zones, establish friendships and build confidence through meaningful and exciting activities.
www.otw.org.uk
Young Minds is the UK’s leading charity fighting for children and young people’s mental health.
Their vision is to see a world where no young person feels alone with their mental health, and all young people get the mental health support they need, when they need it, no matter what.
They offer a range of support services and are a great place to start when looking for ways to improve your own mental wellbeing.
www.youngminds.org.uk
CAMHS stands for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
You may have been told you are being referred to CAMHS which may be a bit confusing. It is simply the name for the NHS services that assess and treat young people with emotional, behavioural or mental health challenges.
The charity Young Minds have put together some information to explain what this might mean for you, and to help you to understand what people are trying to do to support you. I may answer some of the questions you may have, following a meeting at school or college with your teachers and parents/carers.
www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/your-guide-to-support/guide-to-camhs
Rainbow Trust is the leading organisation providing emotional and practical support to families who have a child with a life threatening or terminal illness.
Rainbow Trust pairs each family with an expert Family Support Worker, giving them practical and emotional support. They support the whole family including parents, carers, the unwell child, brothers, sisters and grandparents.
www.rainbowtrust.org.uk
Action for Happiness
Action for Happiness are a registered charity and a movement of people taking action to create a happier and kinder world, together. They offer a range of resources ranging from leaflets, podcasts, books and blogs from professional doctors and psychologists on how to maximise happiness and wellbeing in your life.
www.actionforhappiness.org
Believe in children – Barnardos
Barnardo’s offers specific support for parents who are looking to support their child’s mental health. They provide expert advice and tips, as well as specific resources for prevalent mental health struggles in children and young people, like depression and anxiety.
www.barnardos.org.uk
Place2Be provides an abundance of resources for parents and carers to support children and young people in terms of their mental health.
They emphasise the important role parents and carers in teaching children how to understand and manage their feelings, offering advice on how they can do this effectively.
www.place2be.org.uk
HappyMaps is an award-winning charity developed by healthcare professionals with help from parents and young people.
They have gathered together some of the best and most reliable mental health resources for parents, carers, and young people, all in one place.
www.happymaps.co.uk
Better Health – Every Mind Matters is a programme launched by the NHS
They have provided resources on supporting others’ mental health, specifically looking after a child or a young person. They offer tips on how to spot if a child is struggling and ways to support them.
www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters
Action For Children was established for parents, offering down-to-earth parenting advice you can trust.
It offers advice and resources parents can use to help support their children’s’ wellbeing across a range of areas, such as mental health, education, sleep and nutrition and healthy eating.
www.actionforchildren.org.uk
Changing Faces is a registered charity that offers support to those living with a visible difference – such as a scar, mark or condition on their face or body.
They offer support on how to maintain good mental health and wellbeing, how to gain confidence, how to deal with others’ reactions, and more.
www.changingfaces.org.uk
Stem4 is promotes positive mental health in teenagers and those who support them.
This includes providing support and guidance for their families and carers, education professionals, as well as school nurses and GPs through the provision of mental health education, resilience strategies and early intervention.
Support is primarily provided digitally through their innovative education programme, pioneering mental health apps, clinically-informed website and mental health conferences that contribute to helping young people and those around them flourish.
www.stem4.org.uk