Family services and support
For SEMH services and support for parents and carers use the following information, links and downloads.
Bereavement
- For guidance on how to explain death to children visit the CBeebies Talking about death with your little one web page.
- For support for families when a child grieves or a child dies visit the Child Bereavement UK website.
- For support for families visit the Winston’s Wish website.
- For national support and a helpline for families visit the Cruse Bereavement Support website.
Christmas
- Christmas - Cruse Bereavement Support
- Christmas and mental health - Mind guidance
- Christmas - Getting support - Childline guidance
- If you're worried about someone else this Christmas - Samaritans guidance
Depression
- How to help teenagers with depression and tips for parents and carers - Mental Health guidance
Drugs and alcohol
- Drugs, alcohol and mental health - Guidance from Rethink Mental Illness for parents and carers about misuse in over-18s
- Frank - Honest information about drugs including free confidential helpline
Early years
- EasyPeasy app - Parenting tips and activities for you parents and carers and their 0 to 5-year-olds through a smartphone app
- Self-care in your baby's first months poster - Anna Freud self-care advice for new parents and carers
- Self-care top tips for young parents and carers booklet - Anna Freud self-care tips for new parents and carers
Eating disorders
Exams
- A guide for parents and carers - Exam time - YoungMinds guidance
General mental health information
- Child mental health - NSPCC Learning guidance
- Looking after a child or young person's mental health - NHS every mind matters guidance
- Parenting advice from our child mental health experts - Place2Be Parenting Smart guidance
- Resources for families - Anna Freud guidance
- Teen mental health guide for parents - MyTutor blog guidance
- Worried about your teenager? - NHS guidance
Helplines
- YoungMinds Parents Helpline - Free office hours telephone and online support for parents and carers of children and young people under 25 years
- Family lives helpline - Free telephone, online and email support for parents and carers
- Samaritans helpline - Free 24/7, 365 days a year telephone, text and email support for anyone experiencing mental health difficulties
Knife harm
For support for parents and carers to help them talk to young people and young adults about knives and weapons visit the Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit website’s Knife harm resources web page.
LGBTQ+
- A guide for parents and carers - Gender identity - YoungMinds guidance
- LGBTQI+ - Anna Freud guidance
- Just Like Us - the LGBT+ young people's charity
- The OutHouse - LGBTQ+ community support and friendship for Essex
Medication
For information to help parents and carers know more about mental health medications visit the YoungMinds Medications web page.
Relationships
- For an intervention for parents experiencing difficulties in relationships with their children visit the Anna Freud Reflective parenting web page.
- For relationship support for families download the Anna Freud Unhealthy Relationships guidance.
Self-harm
- FLASH: Families learning about self-harm - Ministry of Parenting workshops for parents and carers of 11 to 16 year olds
Suicide
- Supporting your child - Papyrus guidance to help parents and carers cope with a young person struggling with thoughts of suicide
Training and coaching
- ACL - community and family learning
- MindEd website - Free educational resource for parents and carers covering children and young people’s mental health
- The Ministry of Parenting website - Guidance and support for parents and carers covering the challenges faced by families in society today
Transitions
Early years
For guidance on the importance of self-care for parents and carers visit the Anna Freud Self-care for all parents and carers web page.
Primary and secondary
For a short guide and tips about how parents and carers can best support children through the transition to secondary school visit the Anna Freud Supporting children’s transition to secondary school: guidance for parents and carers web page.