This extra support can come in a number of different forms including self-help guides, group-based sessions, online sessions, phone support and 1 to 1 sessions. If you have concerns about your child or young person’s mental health, you should talk first to your GP or the education setting SENCO. There are also organisations available to families who can offer advice and support to you without a referral from a health professional. 

Self-help

As a parent, you may find it useful to look at the Mental and emotional wellbeing page, though this isn’t SEND specific. It contains links to organisations who can help and support children and young people with their emotional and mental wellbeing, including self-help guides. Organisations such as Kooth, Healthy Minds and Mentor Link can offer support to children and young people, including those with SEND. You can find out more about them on the page link above.

Worcestershire’s NHS Health and Care Trust has a page with resources for families Signposting Resources, School Mental Health although the SEND section is mainly signposting you back to the SEND Local Offer, the other resources and links to services may be useful.

Worcestershire’s Starting Well service has details of mental health support services: Support with mental health and wellbeing which has similar links to those presented on other pages referenced here.

Education settings can do things to support their students/pupils, either as a whole class or on a one-to-one basis. Worcestershire schools have access to information about where they can go to for support along with some mental health resources on the Worcestershire Children First website. You may find it useful to look at and talk about with your child/young person’s education setting. The Professionals’ Toolkit has two drop downs with mental health resources: Directory of support for Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Download: Directory of Support for Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing (Word) and Mental health support in educational settings route map Mental health support in educational settings route map (PDF)

In addition, the Inclusion in Education section has a page Social, emotional and mental health which contains more SEND specific information, again you may find some of the resources useful to work together with your child/young person’s education setting.

Young people aged 18 and over

For young people aged 18 and over there is a section on the Worcestershire County Council website which has information and links to Mental health support services, such as Now We’re Talking, Qwell and the WOO text service.