Signposting for support

MHST https://camhsdorset.org/about-camhs/mental-health-support-teams-mhsts 

MHST work in school to tackle the challenges children and young people experience, by helping them to feel more resilient, arming them with techniques to look after themselves and strategies to help them cope better with life’s ups and downs. This includes support for things like mild-moderate anxiety or worries, exam stress and friendship issues through 6-8 sessions of low intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (LI-CBT), counselling sessions, themed group work or information workshops. We also been support the transition between schools and have been working with the year 6 classes going up into year 7. 

CAMHS https://camhsdorset.org/parents-carers/parents-of-teenagers 

CAMHS provides support to children and young people who are coping with significant mental health difficulties. Find out what we help with – and how

Kooth https://www.kooth.com/ 

Kooth is your online mental wellbeing community. Access is free, safe and anonymous. Developed and monitored by Mental Health professionals 

Childline https://www.childline.org.uk/ 

Childline is here to help anyone under 19 in the UK with any issue they’re going through.  You can talk about anything. Whether it’s something big or small, our trained counsellors are here to support you. 

Childline is free, confidential and available any time, day or night. You can talk to us: 

• by calling 0800 1111 

• by email 

• through 1-2-1 counsellor chat 

Beat Eating Disorders https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/about-beat/ 

The UK’s eating disorder charity. Founded in 1989 as the Eating Disorders Association, our mission is to end the pain and suffering caused by eating disorders. 

Charlie Waller https://www.charliewaller.org/parents-and-carers 

We work with young people, parents and carers, schools, colleges, universities and employers. All our work is based on sound evidence. It gives people the confidence and skills to look after their mental health. 

Connection - a 24/7 mental health helpline 0800 652 0190 – offers free 24/7 telephone access to mental health advice and support as part of Access Mental Health. You do not need to be known by our services and can also phone for support and advice about a friend or family member experiencing poor mental health. 

Dorset Children's Social Care 

Children’s services Contact Children's Services - Dorset Council 

Family Support and Advice Line https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/w/worried-about-a-child 

Tel: 01305 228558 

If you're worried about the safety or wellbeing of a child or young person who lives in Dorset contact our Family Support and Advice Line. Single point of contact for safeguarding concerns.

Early Help https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/children-families/family-hub/support-for-families 

Sometimes, families may need extra support and we want to make sure people get the right help at the right time. Some of the work we undertake includes: 

• Group work with children and young people 

• Parent support groups 

• Help with periods of change in a child or young person’s life 

• Direct work with families 

• Targeted Youth Worker 

Other local services 

NHS Chathealth https://www.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/school-nursing/chathealth Confidential text messaging service that enables children and young people (aged 11-19) in Dorset to send questions via text message to their school nursing team. They will then receive a reply that includes signposting to additional services. 

NHS Parentline https://www.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/school-nursing/parentline ParentLine is a confidential text messaging service providing parents and carers of 5-19 year olds in Dorset a way to seek advice from our school nursing team about their child's health and development via text message. 

Blandford Group Practise young person coordinator https://theblandfordgrouppractice.co.uk/support-for-young-people-and-care-leavers-aged-5-25/ Our Young Persons Care Coordinator works as part of the Wellbeing Team at The Blandford Group Practice. The role supports young people aged between 5 and 25 who are patients of the practice. Working with young people, their families, and other agencies such as schools, youth organisations and more to provide non-clinical wellbeing support and signposting. 

School Nursing Service https://www.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/our-services-and-sites/children-young-people-and-families/school-nursing School nursing teams work with school-age children and their families, aiming to promote health and wellbeing. We encourage healthier lifestyles and provide information, advice and support to children and their families. 

Reach Drug and Alcohol Service EDAS/REACH Young People offer a FREE confidential drug and alcohol service for under 18’s who live in Dorset  

Treads https://www.treads-youth-blandford-forum.com/ Drop-in centre for young people aged 7 to 25, focusing on promoting healthy lifestyles and positive decision-making.  This well-established organisation plays a key role in supporting neurodiverse youth. It conducts anti-bullying workshops, female empowerment programmes, and provides guidance for significant life transitions, such as moving from primary to secondary school. Treads also holds mental wellbeing workshops aimed at helping young people overcome anxiety, contributing to their overall mental health. 

Mosaic- Bereavement support https://www.mosaicfamilysupport.org/  Mosaic support children and young people who have been bereaved of someone special, such as a parent, sibling, friend or a member of their extended family. 

Paragon https://paragonteam.org.uk/  PARAGON are a specialist team and our mission is ‘together empowering change’ for individuals, families, and our communities. We are committed to ending violence against adults and children, and do this through empowering individual and communities to change.  We know that for anyone living with domestic abuse, sexual violence or stalking, getting in touch with someone to help is really hard. Taking that first step can be scary, and talking to someone you don’t know may seem strange. But we are here to help. When it’s safe and right for you, please contact one of our teams. 

Stars- Sexual Trauma and recovery services https://www.starsdorset.org/  STARS is a Dorset charity that offers one to one support, free of charge, for anyone of any age or gender who lives, works or studies in Dorset and has experienced any form of sexual violence at any time in their life. 

Aspire Adoption Services - https://aspireadoption.co.uk/  Aspire offers a range of support services to all parties connected with adoption including families who have adopted, adopted adults and birth families. We also offer support services to families created through special guardianship. In addition to specialist support services, Aspire provides social events, support groups, training and contact services. Email: enquiries@aspireadoption.co.uk 

Army Welfare  BlandfordGar-BGSUWelfare@mod.gov.uk Contact Number: Monday-Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm 01258 481936 

Safer Schools Team https://www.dorset.police.uk/police-forces/dorset-police/areas/about-us/local-support-and-guidance/ssct-young-people/ The Safer Schools and Communities Team is a partnership between Dorset Police and Dorset Combined Youth Offending Service with a remit to provide targeted interventions to prevent and reduce anti-social behaviour, crime, and wrong-doing amongst children and young people and help keep them safe in a digital world. 

Prisoner Families https://www.prisonersfamilies.org/ We offer free, confidential support and advice for families in England and Wales who have a loved one in contact with the criminal justice system. 

Dorset Youth https://dorsetyouth.com/ Find support, advice and activities for all ages in Dorset. 

Space Youth Project https://www.spaceyouthproject.co.uk/ We aim to support young people who are or may be LGBT+ and empower them to have positive self-esteem, 
to know they are supported, to have a sense of community and to overcome issues caused or intensified by prejudice in order to facilitate freedom of expression. 

Signposting for Online safety 

 NSPCC  https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/  Keeping children safe online - Together we can make sure it’s safe for every child to go online. We’re here to support parents with online safety advice, and we’re here for children – to protect them and help them recover from abuse. 

Childline Report Remove Report Remove | Childline Report Remove is here to help young people under 18 in the UK to confidentially report sexual images and videos of themselves and remove them from the internet. 

Child exploitation & online protection https://www.ceop.police.uk/Safety-Centre/How-can-CEOP-help-me-YP/ CEOP is a law enforcement agency and is here to help keep children and young people safe from sexual abuse and grooming online. 

National College Online Safety Guides & Resources for Parents (nationalcollege.com) National online safety  

The Cyber Helpline https://www.thecyberhelpline.com/ Provides free, expert help for victims of cybercrime and online harm. We help individuals and sole traders. 

UK Safer Internet Centre – https://saferinternet.org.uk/ Helping children and young people stay safe online 

SWGfL Online_Saftey_Parents_Sep2018 Charity dedicated to empowering the safe and secure use of technology. 

Delay Smartphones https://delaysmartphones.org.uk/ Supporting parents to make informed decisions on when to give children their first smartphone. 

Children's commissioner – A Guide For Parents On Managing Children’s Digital Lives Help for parents 

Signposting for Parenting support 

NSPCC https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/support-for-parents/ Explore expert support and advice for every parenting challenge. Whether in calm or chaos, we guide parents and carers through the ups and downs 

Family Lives Free online parenting classes | Family Lives Offers advice, support and online courses for families on various topics, such as parenting, health, behaviour, mental health, bullying, divorce and more.  Call free on 0808 800 2222 

Dorset Family learning  https://www.skillsandlearningace.com/subjects/family-learning/ Our fully funded Family Learning courses are a great chance to learn something new and support your family. They are designed for parents, carers or grandparents of school age children.  We offer a range of courses, including Autism Awareness, Understanding Your Child’s Behaviour, and Supporting your Child’s Mental Health. 

FACE family advice  https://www.facefamilyadvice.co.uk/ FACE gives practical, accessible and affordable support to parents and professionals who support children and teenagers  

Young Carers MYTIME Young Carers Young carers are people aged between 5-25, who carry a caring responsibility for a family member or loved one. These are incredible young people who have been overlooked and under-supported for far too long, often facing greater and more far-reaching challenges in life than their non-caring peers as a result. Our mission is to change that. Learn more about how we do it, who we are, and how you can help. 

TADSS https://tadss.co.uk/outreach-services/ TADSS is working in partnership with Dorset Council to support inclusion by providing outreach services to mainstream schools and settings. This service is fully funded for any child or young person resident in Dorset. Our Outreach team is made up of experienced teachers with practical knowledge and skills of working with a range of pupils with special needs. To request support, complete the Outreach request form and send to the TADSS office. Your request will be reviewed and allocated to the most appropriate TADSS school. 

Rehab4addiction https://www.rehab4addiction.co.uk/country-wide/drug-alcohol-rehab-dorset Rehab 4 Addiction was founded to assist those affected by substance misuse and their loved ones. We offer a range of services designed to help signpost you to the most effective treatments. 

Financial Support 

Nourish https://faith-works.org.uk/locations-across-dorset/nourish-blandford/?ref=givefood.org.uk Previously known as Blandford Food Bank+, the Food Bank has now expanded to include a community larder, larger community cafe area and much more.  We are located in Blandford town centre and exist for those living in Blandford Forum and surrounding villages. Tel: 01258 456093 

Citizens Advice https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/  We are here to help everyone who needs it with practical advice you can really trust. Our national charity and network of local charities offer confidential advice online, over the phone, and in person, for free. 

  
Family Action https://www.family-action.org.uk/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI14T1oqvzhAMVPpVQBh2mPAGhEAAYASAAEgJqN_D_BwE Family isn’t always easy. That’s why Family Action have self-help resources, local services, and our free helpline, FamilyLine to help you through whatever problems you or your family are facing. 

Sexual Health Dorset https://sexualhealthdorset.org/ Email: dhc.sexualhealth.promotion@nhs.net  To make an appointment or for further advice, please call 0300 303 1948 or 01202 858372 Free contraception and sexual health service for all ages. We offer a wide range of confidential services, including STI testing and treatment, contraception (including emergency contraception), PEP, and specialist young people’s services including ChatSexual Health Dorset. 

National Stalking Helpline https://www.suzylamplugh.org/pages/category/national-stalking-helpline Get advice and contact details for help and support with stalking Bish https://www.bishuk.com/ A guide to sex, love and you. For everyone over 14. 

The Mix https://www.themix.org.uk/ Free information and support for under 25s in the UK. Get advice about sex, relationships, drugs, mental health, money & jobs. 

Attendance 

Young Minds https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-a-z-mental-health-guide/school-anxiety-and-refusal/ We're fighting for a world where no young person feels alone with their mental health. Read our strategy to find out how we plan to ensure all young people can get the mental health support they need, when they need it, no matter what. 

BBC Bitesize https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zdkn3qt#zxjgkhv Advice for parents on school anxiety and refusal. 

Book recommendations 

Mental health books for teenagers - Best For You 

BOOKS 1 | CAMHS Resources (camhs-resources.co.uk)