Children and young people's mental health
There are a number of services available in Wandsworth for children and young people who may need support with mental wellbeing.
Please also see your GP if you have any questions or worries about yours or your child’s mental health and wellbeing.
Wandsworth Child and Adult Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
CAMHS are NHS services that assess and treat young people with emotional, behavioural or mental health difficulties.
CAMHS support covers depression, problems with food, self-harm, abuse, violence or anger, bipolar, schizophrenia and anxiety, to name a few.
Find out more about CAMHS services.
PORTUS: A Safe Space
PORTUS provides tailored resources to support people to:
- Identify different types of self-harm
- Understand the cycle of behaviour associated with self-harm
- Talk to young people about suicide
- Assess suicide risk effectively
- Recognise risk factors for self-harm
- Access additional training and support
Practical resources are available, including the Self-harm & Suicide Prevention Pathway, Risks and Strengths Assessment, and Suicide Prevention Support Safety Plan. These tools are designed to help you assess the risk of suicide, develop safety plans, and effectively coordinate and integrate support systems.
You can view these resources on the PORTUS website.
You can also view PORTUS resources for parents and carers.
The ‘Supporting your Child-Checklist’ is available to help parents and carers recognise signs of when a young person/child is coping well in life, and when they may be struggling. It includes practical methods for offering support and highlights signs to look out for that might indicate a child is facing difficulties.
Parents and carers can also find links to additional resources to help them feel more confident in supporting their children and young people, including free online courses and dedicated support lines.
Kooth
Kooth is a free, safe and anonymous place for young people to find online mental health support. It also provides counselling support for young people aged 11 to 25 years.
Free2B
Free2B offer a youth club, group and one-to-one support for LGBTQ+ young people aged 13 to 18 years, providing a safe space to develop skills and strategies to manage difficulties. Free2B also run a monthly peer support group for parents of gender variant and trans young people.
If you’d like support, contact georgina@free2b.lgbt or call 07529 221 239.
Other useful links and resources
These national services also provide support for children and young people's mental health.
- The Mix offers a range of mental health and other support over the phone, online or by SMS
- YoungMinds has lots of information and resources for young people on every aspect of mental health
- NHS Every Mind Matters provides resources including guides to looking after a child’s mental health and self-care for young people
- Beat Eating Disorders has helplines open 365 days a year and a one-to-one web chat service
- Samaritans helpline is open until 9pm every day. Call 116 123
- Childline helpline can offer help and advice. Call 0800 1111