There is a wide range of advice, information and guidance around emotional and mental health available to for families. The contacts below are a great starting point. If they can’t offer the support you are looking for they will certainly help you find someone that can.
CAMHS Single Point of Access
03001239296 – email: tewv.camhscountydurhamdarlington@nhs.net
CAMHS Single point of Access is a first point of contact for children’s emotional and mental health advice. Parents and young people over XXX can contact the team directly. You will receive telephone advice and be offered a one to one appointment if the team feel your child needs to be offered an assessment.
Rollercoaster Parent Support Group
07415380040/ 07500 783 634 email: parentsupport@success.coop
Rollercoaster is a Parent Support Project for parents who are supporting a child with any kind of emotional or mental health needs. The project offers support groups, peer support training, a parent/carer advisory group, general information and advice from a CAMHS nurse.
CAMHS Crisis Team
0191 4415733 – available 24 hours a day
If your child is experiencing a mental health crisis you can contact the team for support and advice. Depending on your personal circumstances the team may carry out an assessment, offer advice and coping strategies for managing distress, help the young person and carers make plans to keep the young person safe.
First Contact
0300 026 7979
First Contact helps families to get the right support, from the right service, when they need it. When you contact them, you will speak to a trained officer who will work with you to decide the level of response needed. Providing early help to children, young people and their families is their priority. They will start with an Early Help Assessment to inform what happens next, which may be: Giving you appropriate advice and guidance, a referral to services such as One Point, with a ‘team around the family’ and a named lead professional or a statutory referral to their assessment and interventions teams due to safeguarding concerns
Durham County Carers Support
0300 005 1213
Durham County Carers Support (DCCS) offers specialist advice, information, carers assessments and practical support for carers over the age of 18 years old. This includes parent carers who support a child with emotional or mental health difficulties. They can offer information and practical support in connection with accessing special education, grants, benefits and a wide range of NHS and other services, support in meetings with professionals, to ensure your voice is heard and access to a range of local support groups developed by DCCS or in partnership with other organisations. DCCS also completes the Statutory Parent Carer Needs assessments on behalf of the Local Authority. All parent carers who register with DCCS will be offered this assessment and parents can contact to request one.
Durham SEND Information Advice and Support Service
0191 5873541 or 03000 267007 email: sendiass@durham.gov.uk
Durham SEND Information Advice and Support Service is a statutory service supporting parents/carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and children and young people with SEND. They provide confidential information advice and support through a range of services. This includes home visits, attending meetings in educational settings and liaison with all services working with children and young people.
National Information:
MindEd for Families
Really useful website with lots of emotional and mental health advice and information
YoungMinds
National charity committed to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people. Lots of useful information as well as a Parent Helpline: 0808 802 5544 (free from mobiles and landlines)
Family Lives
Listening, supportive and non-judgmental advice. Confidential helpline on 0808 800 2222. You can contact them about any family issue, big or small.