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Links and Further Support
There are lots of places parents and carers can access help. If you are worried your child is feeling incredibly depressed or suicidal, then start with a visit to your GP or call NHS 111. Your doctor may refer you to CAMHS, which is a service to support children and adolescents access mental health support. If you are in immediate danger, parents and carers should call 999 or go straight to A&E.
 | Alumina is a free online support programme for young people aged 10–17 who are struggling with self-harm. It offers a confidential 7-week course led by trained counsellors and youth workers, where participants join weekly group sessions through an online chatbox rather than video or voice. The programme aims to provide a safe, non-judgemental space to explore emotions, learn coping strategies, and move towards recovery from self-harm. |
 | The Anna Freud Centre is a pioneering mental health charity transforming care for children and young people through science, collaboration and clinical innovation. It has a series of podcasts on a range of issues, alongside other materials and resources, as part of a wave of support. Resources for Children & Young People It has a text service that is a free, confidential, 24/7 text message support service for anyone who is feeling overwhelmed or is struggling to cope. They can help with issues such as anxiety, worry, panic attacks, bullying and depression and are here to talk at any time of day or night. |
 | Anxiety UK is a national charity providing a wide range of information, services and activities to support those experiencing worry and anxiety. Their 24/7 infoline: |
 | Barnardo’s is a major UK children’s charity that supports vulnerable children, young people, and families. It helps people facing issues such as poverty, abuse, mental health difficulties, neglect, and homelessness by providing practical support, counselling, fostering and adoption services, and safe spaces. |
 | BEAT Eating Disorders is the UK’s eating disorder charity. Their national Helpline exists to encourage and empower people to get help quickly. They listen, give help to understand the illness, and offer support to take positive steps towards recovery. They also support family and friends, equipping them with essential skills and advice, so they can help their loved ones recover whilst also looking after their own mental health. Their helpline is open from 3 pm– 8 pm, Monday to Friday: |
 | Black Minds Matter UK is a UK mental health charity that provides free, culturally appropriate talking therapy for Black people. It connects individuals and families with qualified Black therapists to help improve access to mental health support. |
 | Bromley Y aim to promote and support the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children, young people and families by enabling change, fostering resilience and helping them build healthy relationships. They deliver a number of webinars and workshops for both young people and/or their parents/carers to give education, guidance and strategies to support and improve wellbeing. |
 | The CALMZone is the website of Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), a UK-based suicide prevention and mental health charity. The platform provides free, practical support for people struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, suicidal thoughts, and other mental health challenges. It offers a confidential helpline, live chat services, self-help resources, personal stories, wellbeing tools, and campaigns focused on reducing stigma around mental health and suicide prevention. The CALM helpline is open every day from 5 pm to midnight on: The CALMzone app makes it easier to look after your head. Manage anxiety, stress, panic, and whatever life throws at you using expert-created mental health tools and exercises. Download it for free now: |
 | Child Bereavement UK is a UK charity that supports children, young people, parents, and families when a child dies or when a child is facing bereavement. It offers free, confidential support through phone, video, live chat, and face-to-face services, helping people cope with grief and rebuild their lives after loss. Get instant access to expert bereavement support via phone, live chat, email or text from 8 am to 8 pm, Monday to Friday (except bank holidays). No appointment needed or long wait times. |
 | Childline provides help to 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 them by calling 0800 1111, by email or through a 1-2-1 counsellor chat. You can talk to them over the phone about anything on: Or chat with a counsellor online about whatever's worrying you: |
 | Cruse Bereavement Support has been helping people who are struggling with grief and bereavement for over 65 years. They want to live in a world where everyone grieving is supported, respected and understood. They help people through one of the most painful times in life – with bereavement support, information and campaigning. They have a helpline with volunteers who are trained in all types of bereavement and can help you make sense of how you're feeling right now. The opening times for the helpline are:
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| FRANK is a UK government-funded website and helpline that provides free, confidential information and advice about drugs, alcohol, and substance misuse. It includes facts about different drugs, their effects, risks, laws, emergency advice, and guidance on getting help or treatment. Users can also contact trained advisers through a 24/7 phone line, text service, email, and live chat. Call FRANK 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: Text a question and FRANK will text you back: |
 | GetSelfHelp is a free mental health and CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) resource website designed to help people manage issues like anxiety, depression, stress, panic, and low self-esteem. It offers step-by-step self-help courses, worksheets, videos, downloadable guides, and audio exercises that users can follow independently. |
 | KIDSCAPE is a UK charity that works to protect children and young people from bullying and abuse. It provides practical support, advice, runs workshops, a parent advice line, and educational programmes that build confidence, resilience, and positive relationships, aiming to reduce bullying and its harmful effects on wellbeing. The Parent Advice Line is open on Mondays and Tuesdays, 9:30 am – 2:30 pm: |
 | Kooth is an online mental health and wellbeing platform that provides free, anonymous support, mainly for young people aged around 10–25 in the UK. It focuses on early intervention and prevention — helping people get support before problems become severe. It’s designed to be accessible 24/7 from phones or computers, while keeping users private and confidential. |
 | Mermaids UK is a UK charity that supports transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse children and young people, along with their families and carers. It provides information, emotional support, and advice through helplines, webchat, online communities, and resources to help people understand gender identity and navigate services like education and healthcare. Their support line is open Monday – Friday, from 1 pm to 8:30 pm: |
 | Mind is a major UK mental health charity that provides support, information, and advocacy for people experiencing mental health problems. It offers helplines, online advice, and local services through “Local Minds” across England and Wales to help people access care, understand their mental health, and find support when they need it. Mind's 4 helplines provide a voice at the end of the phone when there's nowhere else to turn. Each line meets a different mental health or wellbeing need – from information and service finding to understanding mental health law. Mind Helplines - Infoline, Welfare Benefits, Legal and Support If you're aged between 11 and 18, this page lists organisations and services that can offer you information and support. |
 | MoodSpark is a UK-based website designed for young people to support their emotional wellbeing and mental health. It provides information, articles, videos, and activities to help users understand feelings like anxiety, stress, and low mood, and learn ways to cope and build resilience. |
 | Muslim Youth Helpline (MYH) is a UK-based charity that offers free, confidential and faith-sensitive emotional support to young people, especially Muslims, who are dealing with issues like mental health struggles, family problems, isolation, or identity challenges. It provides a helpline, webchat, and email support staffed by trained volunteers who listen in a non-judgemental and supportive way. Call their helpline 7 days a week (4 pm-10 pm): |
 | NHS Every Mind Matters is an NHS mental wellbeing website that provides free, practical advice and tools to help people manage stress, anxiety, low mood, and sleep problems. The platform offers personalised “Mind Plans,” self-help guides, wellbeing tips, breathing exercises, and email support programmes designed to improve mental health and everyday wellbeing. |
 | No Panic is a UK mental health charity that supports people experiencing anxiety-related conditions such as panic attacks, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and general anxiety. The organisation provides confidential helplines, self-help recovery programmes, CBT-based mentoring, support groups, and online resources to help people manage and recover from anxiety disorders. Their helpline is open every day from 10 am to 10 pm on: Or call their 24-hour Crisis Line on: |
 | OCD Youth is a UK-based youth-led mental health organisation that supports people under 25 affected by obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Run by young people with lived experience of OCD, the platform offers confidential e-helpline support, downloadable resources, and online support groups where young people can connect with others experiencing similar challenges. Get in touch with their Youth e-Helpline to speak about what you are going through and how it can get better at: |
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| The OLLIE Foundation is a UK suicide prevention charity that focuses on educating people—especially those who work with or support young people—about how to recognise warning signs and intervene early. It provides help and advice for people experiencing suicidal feelings, as well as providing information and support for anyone worried about another young person. |
 | PAPYRUS UK is a charity that works to prevent young suicide, from being there in a crisis, to training the people around young people, to shaping the policies that affect their lives. Call PAPYRUS HOPELINE UK: Or text HOPE to: |
 | Parenting Smart offers practical advice for parents and carers of children aged 4-11. All of their content is created by Place2Be’s parenting experts. It’s based on evidence and their experiences working with children, young people and their families. Browse their topics for answers to some common parenting questions. |
 | The Proud Trust is a UK LGBTQ+ youth charity that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer young people to feel safe, confident, and proud of who they are. It provides youth groups, one-to-one support, mentoring, and online services like live chat. Proud Connections Live Chat is a support service with limited opening hours; they are not an emergency service. Call their helpline on: |
 | Reading Well is a UK library-based wellbeing programme that supports you to understand and manage your health and wellbeing using helpful reading. Reading Well books are all recommended by health experts, as well as people with lived experience of the conditions and topics covered and their relatives and carers. |
 | Samaritans is a UK and Ireland charity focused on suicide prevention and emotional support. It provides a free, confidential listening service for anyone struggling to cope, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call for free 24 hours a day, 365 days a year: |
 | SIFT (formerly known as Self Injury Support) is the UK's leading self-harm support charity and has a range of support, including for friends, parents, and carers. It's listening services offer free, compassionate and confidential support over phone, text and email. They are here to help people of all ages, genders and backgrounds in the United Kingdom who may be experiencing emotional distress related to self-harm. When you reach out to them, you will talk with one of their trained volunteers who are experienced in how to help people in your situation. They will listen to you, help you explore your story and feelings, and support you in any decisions you choose to make. You can also visit our website for access to our self-help resource library. Call their helpline, which offers free, confidential and non-judgemental support, on Monday Or send a text from Monday to Friday, between 6 pm and 9 pm: |
 | Shout 85258 is a free, confidential, 24/7 mental health text support service available across the UK. It helps people who are struggling with issues such as anxiety, depression, loneliness, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, bullying, or overwhelming stress by connecting them with trained volunteers through text messaging. Simply text “SHOUT” to: You might notice that other organisations use the same Shout textline number for support. |
 | Sidekick is a mental health and recovery support organisation that uses lived experience to help people facing challenges such as anxiety, addiction, neurodiversity, and emotional wellbeing issues. The website highlights programmes offering life coaching, coping strategies, recovery support, and wellbeing workshops. Its approach focuses on peer support, resilience-building, and practical mental health tools. Text Sidekick for support at: Or email them about anything that's bothering you: |
 | Stonewall Young Futures is a digital platform from the LGBTQ+ rights charity Stonewall that supports LGBTQ+ young people as they think about their future, including education, work, and life after school. It provides advice, stories, and resources on topics like careers, training, wellbeing, coming out, and overcoming barriers such as discrimination or lack of support. |
 | Switchboard is the UK’s national LGBTQIA+ support helpline that offers free, confidential, and non-judgemental listening support. It is run by trained LGBTQIA+ volunteers and provides a safe space for people to talk about sexuality, gender identity, relationships, mental health, and wellbeing concerns. The service is available every day and can be accessed by phone, webchat, or email, and it also helps people find further information and support services if needed. Call their helpline on: Or email them at: |
 | Victim Support is an independent UK charity that provides free, confidential support to people affected by crime and traumatic incidents in England and Wales. The website offers 24/7 support through helplines, live chat, local services, and specialist programs for issues such as domestic abuse, homicide, hate crime, and support for children and young people. It also provides information about victims’ rights, coping strategies, safety advice, and access to further support services. Get in touch anytime for independent, free, and confidential advice by calling their Supportline on: |
 | YoungMinds provides young people with the tools to look after their mental health. They empower adults to be the best support they can be to the young people in their lives. And they give young people the space and confidence to get their voices heard and change the world we live in. They offer tailored information, advice and support to parents and carers who are concerned about their child or young person’s mental health. You can speak to them over the phone (open from 9.30 am - 4 pm on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9.30 am - 6 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays), or chat online. It is free and confidential. Or send a free text to the Young Minds Crisis Messenger Service by texting YM to: |
 | Youth Access is a UK charity that supports young people aged 11–25 by connecting them with free, community-based advice, counselling, and mental health services. The organisation works with local youth services across the UK to improve access to emotional wellbeing support, practical advice, and early intervention for issues such as mental health, housing, relationships, employment, and financial difficulties. |
The online world can be a bit overwhelming at times but it is important that we understand what our children are doing online so we can help to keep them safe. Within the current climate that we live in, online material is being accessed more than ever before, whether that is for educational purposes or social use. With this in mind we have introduced the Safer Schools App, which is accessible for parents and staff. The app is available to download for free on all Apple and Android devices.
The Safer Schools App aims to help by offering advice around topics such as image sharing, social media, online bullying, safer gaming and much more. Another feature available through the app is push notifications. These notifications will include real time trend alerts and emerging risks to children whilst online.
Scan the QR code below to download the app.
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| The 4 Digit Entry Code for Parents/Carers is 7675. | The 4 Digit Entry Code for Students is 4898. |
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