Talk about feelings and emotions
Talking freely about your feelings and experiences is really useful for young people. It shows them that everyone has challenges and difficult days, but they can feel comfortable chatting to adults about them – whether the problem they’re facing is big or small. Sometimes starting a conversation can be difficult, visit the Mind website for information on helping young people open up about their mental health.
Listen
Making time to talk and listen is probably the most important thing you can do. Try and make it clear that you’re really listening to the young person’s feelings, that you’re not judging them and you want to help. Heads Together illustrate the importance of really listening in their #mentalhealthminute campaign.
Take your time and use resources
You don’t need to have all the answers straight away. If a young person asks you a challenging question, explain that you need to find more information. Websites such as ChildLine, Talk to Frank or others listed on this site can help you find out more about young people’s challenges and issues.
Access Training
Compass Phoenix offers a range of free graduated training courses and support to schools on children and young people’s mental health.
The Recovery College Online is an excellent website that provides a range of online courses and resources about mental health. This includes information for parents and carers, young people and professionals.
The Learning Zone is North Yorkshire County Council’s ‘one stop shop’ for access to a wide range of training and learning opportunities including mental health.
North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Board provides safeguarding information and training for professionals working in North Yorkshire.
The MindEd website includes over 250 bitesize sessions of e-learning.
BEAT are offering a range of free training courses for School professionals and GP’s/Primary clinicians to help increase understanding of eating disorders amongst young people.
Referral
There are lots of resources and information on this site to support young people with their emotional wellbeing and mental health, but if you feel the young person needs more help, you may consider referring them to a local service such as The Healthy Child Programme, Compass Phoenix or specialist CAMHS.
Look after yourself
If you’re helping someone who’s upset, it can be hard for you too. Make sure you take some time to look after yourself and think about how it’s affecting you. Visit the top tips on feeling good page for some tools to help you look after yourself.
Get involved
Future in Mind: North Yorkshire is a strategy to help improve the social, emotional and mental health and wellbeing of young people aged 0-25 in North Yorkshire.
Visit our What’s in North Yorkshire for me? page to find out more about what services are available locally for children and young people.
Useful links
North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership
Where there are significant immediate concerns about the safety of a child, professionals should contact the police on 999.
Anyone can make a referral to the North Yorkshire Multi-Agency Screening Team (MAST) if you are worried about any child and think they may be a victim of neglect or abuse, whether as a member of the public or as a professional.
If you believe the situation is urgent but does not require the police, please call 01609 780780 to make a telephone contact.
Should your call be outside of business hours (Monday – Friday / 9am-5pm) please call 01609 780780.
Visit North Yorkshire Safeguarding Partnership websiteTEWV Recovery College
The TEWV Recovery College provides a range of online educational courses and resources to people who might be struggling with mental health issues, family, friends, support workers and anyone else who might be interested in learning more.
TEWV Recovery College websiteCompass Phoenix
Compass Phoenix is a free, confidential health and wellbeing service for children and young people between the ages of 5-19. It offers high-quality interventions to children and young people who need support with emotional wellbeing and mental health difficulties, providing evidence-based psychosocial interventions on a one-to-one or group work basis.
Visit Compass Phoenix website Call 0800 008 7452