Information for family members and carers

This area of the website has been developed to help parents and carers support children and young people with their mental health. You will find lots of resources and information from local and national organisations focussed on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. You'll also find support for your own mental health, if you're worried about a young person's behaviour, you're not alone.

You may also find it useful to look through the pages designed for children and young people here either on your own or with a young person.

Over the coming weeks, your child may mention they have been made aware by school or a professional of a service called Kooth. It provides a safe, secure means of accessing online emotional health support from a professional team of qualified counsellors and emotional wellbeing practitioners for ages 10-18 in Lancashire.

For more information, please view the patient/carer letter here.

Local mental health services

Find resources, information, support organisations and websites to help support your mental health. The mental health services directory lists all the organisations working locally, and allows you to search for your closest service or for specific types of support, to help you get appropriate care.

Explore the mental health services directory

Online sources to support you

Young Minds help for parents

Young Minds are a UK charity fighting for children and young people's mental health. There website is full of resources, information and support for children and young people as well as their parents and carers. You can visit the Young Minds website here (opens in new window). You may find the sections below useful.

Papyrus prevention of young suicide

PAPYRUS is a national charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide. There website has support and information for anyone worried about a young person. You can visit the Papyrus website here (opens in new window). You may find the sections below useful.

For confidential suicide prevention advice contact HOPELINE247 on 0800 068 4141. Open 24 hours, 7 days a week (weekends and bank holidays included).

Supporting a child or young person with mental health needs

If you're worried about a child or need advice and support for coping with anything affecting your child's mental health or wellbeing, there are different ways to seek help.

Visit the NHS website (opens in new window) for online sources, understanding when to seek professional help and information about children and young people's mental health services, also sometimes referred to as CAMHS.

You can find information about local CAMHS services on this page of our website.

MindEd for families

Safe and reliable advice about young people’s mental health, created by experts and parents together. Visit the MindEd for families website (opens in new window) for lots of support and information about children and young people's mental health including diagnosis, inpatient care and the transition from child to adult services.

ARFID Awareness UK

ARFID Awareness UK is a registered charity dedicated to raising awareness and furthering information about Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. They provide individuals, parents, carers and medical professionals with information and support.

Someone with ARFID avoids eating certain foods, limits how much they eat, or does both.

When a person develops ARFID, they are less worried about their body weight or shape and develop the eating disorder for other reasons, which include:

a dislike of the smell, texture or taste of certain foods.
feeling anxious following a negative experience with food, for example choking or sickness.
previous fussiness with eating which develops into a more severe dislike of certain foods.
a lack of interest in food and not feeling hungry.

ARFID is more common in children with learning difficulties, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Signs and symptoms: