There is a wealth of useful advice, guidance and support available which may be helpful in understanding and supporting emotional wellbeing and mental health. Please see the sections below for advice, guidance and support for:
- Education Settings
- Children and Young People
- Families
Please note: Essex County Council and the authors of this page do not hold responsibility for the content of these resources or for others signposting this information to their service users. These are regulated by external sources not mandated by the Local Authority. It is the users responsibility to research the resources and evaluate their appropriateness prior to using them themselves or recommending and signposting to others.
Essex Directories
The Essex Wellbeing Service helps Essex residents to find the right support at the right time. It provides practical, emotional, health and wellbeing advice, support and signposting.
Essex Child and Family Wellbeing Service: Provides a range of child and family services throughout Essex that are free at the point of delivery.
Essex Map: Online resource to help find the groups, services, and activities who are working to better the community, rather than focusing on profit.
Southend Learning Network by Southend Educational Psychology Service - Resources Page. This includes their 'Reach Out' suite of resources
NHS Recommended Apps: NHS recommend a number of apps to support emotional wellbeing and mental health
Advice for Education Settings
Essex Based Support
- Finding the Right Help from the Right People - An Overview for Schools/Settings
- EWMH Educational Psychology Schools Helpline: confidential consultation, providing an opportunity to discuss areas of concern and develop an understanding of how to respond in these situations to better support pupils.
- Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) are a service designed to support children and young people with mild to moderate mental health and emotional wellbeing in education settings. They include Education Mental Health Practitioners based directly in schools. Access across Essex is increasing. Find out if your school has access to this support via the leaflet
Children’s Wellbeing
Practitioners (CWPs) can deliver interventions for children and young people
presenting with mild to moderate low mood (13-18years old), child anxiety
(5-12years old), adolescent anxiety (13-18years old) and challenging behaviour
(5-10years old). Interventions are between 6-8 weeks. If you feel like this
could be beneficial, please get in touch with your school nurse. Alternatively,
contact the Essex Child & Family Wellbeing Service on 0300 247 0014.
Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Service - The service is for anybody aged between 0-18 living in the Southend, Essex and Thurrock areas and is free at the point of entry. The service is also for young people with special educational needs (SEN) up to the age of 25. Information booklet.
- Referral Single Point of Access (SPA) to make a referral for emotional wellbeing and mental health therapeutic support.
- EWMHs Clinician of the day number: If you have any concerns about children/young people already open to EWMHS, you should contact the relevant local team where a Clinician of Day will respond (on 0800 953 0222).
- The POWER project is a targeted early intervention project across Greater Essex. POWER practitioners offer direct support to children and young people aged 8-13, their parent/carers and their school to help them develop ways of coping with challenging situations. Eligibility criteria includes having had contact with Essex Police, struggling emotionally and behaviourally at school and at home. Please contact jethro.bogdanov@essex.gov.uk or frederick.vanheerden@essex.gov.uk to find out more or make a referral to the POWER project (new link 2021).
- The Healthy Schools Programme: Essex Healthy Schools is a health improvement programme. It supports schools to promote health and wellbeing. The programme aims to engage the whole school community.
- Place2Be - Counselling Services for CYP age 5-18 in Essex.
- Kooth.com online counselling (under 18): Free, safe and anonymous place for young people to find online support and counselling
- Primary SEMH Panel Request for Support form - for access to SEMH Enhanced Provision (document attached)
Whole School Approach
Staff Helpline
- Essex IAPT (Adults) providing access to a wide range of talking therapy treatments for adults with common mental health difficulties.
- Education Support helpline: advice and guidance to support your own and colleagues emotional wellbeing and mental health. The charity also provides a free, confidential helpline/counselling service 24/7, 365 days a year
- Reducing mental health stigma: Changing the way we think and act about staff mental health in schools
Support for Presenting Needs
Self-Harm Toolkit Self-harm management toolkit for education settings
Self-harm toolkit webinar
NHS Self harm advice - It's important to know that support is available for anyone who self-harms or thinks about self-harm, as well as their friends and family
First aid for self-injury / self harm by LifeSIGNS
Essex Safeguarding Children's Board offering advice and guidance related to Children's safeguarding
Essex Infolink Safeguarding portal providing guidance, resources and updates
Young Minds: to stop young people's mental health reaching crisis point.
Safety Planning - Mind: Making a support plan example
Zero Suicide Alliance Training: suicide awareness training session (approx 20mins) aiming to give you the skills and confidence to help someone who may be considering suicide.
Papyrus prevention of young suicide website: National charity dedicated to prevention of young suicide
Samaritans: Free crisis helpline 24/7, 365 days a year, for anyone who is experiencing mental health difficulties. Call 116 123. They also have a Samaritans self-help app.
Network Rail - Safety Education.
ADHD Foundation - The ADHD foundation promotes to improve emotional wellbeing, educational attainment, behaviour and life chances through better understanding and self-management. They also provide training for GP's, Teachers, Social Care agencies and other professionals, to raise awareness to bring about positive change and inclusion in mental health, education and employment.
Bereavement support from the Essex Educational Psychology Service: Critical Incidents - Critical Incidents (essex.gov.uk)
Child Bereavement UK: How to support a Bereaved Child Video
MindEd Hub is a free educational resource on children, young people, adults and older people's mental health
Resilience - Boingboing co-produced resilience research and practice - Boingboing
Advice for Children and Young People
General Mental Health Advice
- Books and videos about mental health needs (Royal College of Psychiatrists)
- NHS Choices provide an information hub offering young people advice and help on mental health problems including depression, anxiety and stress. The hub includes interactive tools, such as the 'Check your Mood' self-assessment; links to NHS-approved online mental health treatments; and articles covering a wide variety of subjects
- Anna Freud: 'On My Mind' aims to empower young people to make informed choices about their mental health and wellbeing. These pages have been co-produced by young people to help other young people.
- My Mind Resources for young people, professionals and parent/carers.
- Young Mind website: for information, advice and support for children and young people's emotional wellbeing and mental health.
- The Children's Society: Advice for young people from young people's wellbeing and mental health.
- NHS Every Mind Matters: NHS advice and guidance for looking after your mental health.
Support Services and Helplines
- Kooth.com: It is a free, confidential, safe and anonymous way for young people aged 11-24 to ask for help from a team of highly qualified and experienced counsellors and support workers
- Togtherall - Commissioned by EWMHS, this service is available to all young people aged 16-18, and to young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) aged 16-25. The service is available 24/7 and to access all you need to do is enter your postcode. (Used to be known as Big White Wall)
- NHS: Recommended Mental Health helplines
- Find Your Spark - Positive Psychology Coaching, Career Coaching and Work experience 11- 25 year olds who are at risk of developing mental health problems or who have ASD needs as well as their parents and professionals working with these young people.
- NSPCC: Support if you are worried about your own or someone else's emotional wellbeing, mental health and/or safety, including a helpline
- Childline: Support if you are worried about your own or someone else's emotional wellbeing, mental health and/or safety, including a helpline.
Papyrus: HopeLine if you are having thoughts of suicide or are concerned for a young person who might be you can contact HOPELINEUK for confidential support and practical advice.
Anna Freud: The AFC Crisis Messenger text service provides free, 24/7 crisis support for young people across the UK. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis and need support, you can text AFC to 85258.
Advocates and Peer Support
- Epic Friends: This site is all about helping you to help your friends who might be struggling to cope emotionally
Support for Presenting Needs
Advice for Families
General Mental Health Advice
Helplines
- Educational Psychology Parent Helpline
- Young Minds Parent Helpline: Parents Helpline is for detailed advice, emotional support and signposting about a child or young person up to the age of 25. Call free on 0808 802 5544 from 9:30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.
- Parent Lives: helpline: Call free and confidential helpline on 0808 800 2222 for emotional support, information, advice and guidance on any aspect of parenting and family life. Our helpline service is open 9am – 9pm, Monday to Friday and 10am – 3pm Saturday and Sunday.
- Samaritans: Free crisis helpline 24/7, 365 days a year, for anyone who is experiencing mental health difficulties. Call 116 123. They also have a Samaritans self-help app.
- Family Lives confidential helpline: Free, confidential helpline. Call 0808 800 2222.
Supporting Presenting Needs
Medication Overview Directory
At times, Children and Young People are prescribed medication. This can be for their emotional wellbeing and/or mental health. The YoungMinds Medication Explained resource provides an overview of common medications that may be prescribed to a CYP. This includes use and action, warnings and safety and side effects.
