Where do I go for support and how do I access it? 

Take a look at Staffordshire's mental health support pathway.  This shows support  available to children and young people and how to acccess it.

The North and South Pathway can be found below:

• Interactive PDF pathway for North Staffordshire
  
  
• Interactive PDF pathway for South Staffordshire

Children's Mental Health support pathway referral routes

• Getting advice
  
  
• Getting help
  
  
• Getting more help
  
  
• Getting Risk Support

Where can I go for more information?

For more information on mental health and wellbeing support services in your area, please visit our social, emotional and mental health directory. 

Use the categories in the directory to search by subject.  The filters can help you to refine your search further by age, areas served and whether you are looking for a funded, private or voluntary service.

This Parent Guide provides information to support your child with their return to school.

• Anna Freud Centre for families
  
  Support and guidance for families to help manage coronavirus outbreak.
  
  
• App Finder - Mental Wellbeing Apps
  
  To help you find trusted apps that meet your needs, Staffordshire County Council have set up a super easy-to-use Health App Finder.
  
  It's a library of fully reviewed and handpicked apps proven to help with things like mental wellbeing, weight loss and fitness.

• British Psychological Society (BPS) Guidance:‘ Talking to Children about Coronavirus’
  
  Advice for adults around talking to children about coronavirus.
  
  
• CAMHS summary of resources for professionals, parents and carers, and children and young people.
  
  
• Children’s Mental Health Campaign
  
  Resources for parents and children to support mental health, emotional well-being and awareness of coronavirus.
  
  
• Dr Karen Treisman - resources to support children and adults around anxiety, worry, stress, and fears; including those specific to Covid-19
  
  Free videos, worksheets, tips, tools, podcasts, and resources.
  
  
• Early Years Alliance: Talking to children about Coronavirus
  
  Support for parents around talking to early years children about coronavirus.
  
  
• English as an additional language:
  
  
• General Guidance for Parents with English as an Additional Language
  
  
• Public Health England advice and information on how to look after your mental health and wellbeing during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, , translated into Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (CN), Chinese (HK), French, Gujarati, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi and Urdu.
  
  
• Public Health England guidance on supporting children and young people’s mental health during the coronavirus pandemic, translated into Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (CN), Chinese (HK), French, Gujarati, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi and Urdu.
  
  
• The Mental Health Foundation’s many resources, translated into Arabic, Farsi, French, Somali, Tigrinya, Urdu and Welsh.
  
  
• Translations of Coronavirus advice. 
  
  
• Every Mind Matters
  
  NHS approved information on looking after a child or young person's mental health.
  
  
• Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership 
  
  A range of resources aimed at children and families including services available, how to talk about Coronavirus and bereavement, see the dedicated area on their mental health and wellbeing hub.

• Hungry Little Minds. Activities to help support parents when supporting their children whilst at home
  
  All activities divided into ages 0-5. Supported by Department for Education. Primarily focussed on communication, speech and language. There is also a section signposting and offering links to other websites and recommendations of apps for early years.
  
  
• Maudsley Charity: Supporting Behaviour
  
  Website to support families with children’s emotions and behaviour.
  
  
• Nottinghamshire EPS: Therapeutic Story
  
  Therapeutic Story to support primary-age children in exploring strong emotions linked to the corona virus pandemic.
  
  
• Public Health England
  
  Guidance for parents and carers on supporting children and young people’s mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  
  
• Relate have developed some advice to help with difficult relationships at home, how to support your child with their emotional wellbeing and tips on managing anxiety
  
  
• Reading Well Books on Prescription - Book lists containing accredited and helpful reading to support health and wellbeing.
  
  
• Sue Cowley- Managing children’s behaviour while at home
  
  Support for parents regarding managing behaviour at home.
  
  
• The Special Needs Jungle 
  
  The Special Needs Jungle website has compiled a range of resources that will be helpful for supporting children and young people with SEND. The page also contains links to activities, resources and ideas relating to a range of topics including wellbeing, self-regulation, exercise, sensory and formal learning.
  
  
• Staffordshire County Council - lots of local advice and guidance to support families
  
  New Family Hubs
  
  The eight Family Hubs are virtual spaces where local people can find information, advice and guidance, as well as connect with others in their area. 
  
  The hubs will answer questions, help families find support and share ideas for coping with the changes coronavirus is making to our lives.
  
  Please like and share the Facebook pages to help families know we are here to help.

Public Health England's Easy Read Guide - Looking after your feelings and your body

Watch Eliza's video to hear some thoughts & advice on returning to school after lockdown. This has been produced by Eliza, one of Tamworth's CAMHS Youth Workers.  More @ejtalks can be found on TikTok.

• App Finder - Mental Wellbeing Apps
  
  To help you find trusted apps that meet your needs, Staffordshire County Council have set up a super easy-to-use Health App Finder.
  
  It's a library of fully reviewed and handpicked apps proven to help with things like mental wellbeing, weight loss and fitness.
  
  
• Barnardos
  
  Doodle for children to complete on returning to school
  
  
• CAMHS summary of resources for professionals, parents and carers and children and young people.
  
  
• Children’s mental health campaign
  
  Resources for parents and children to support mental health, emotional well-being and awareness of coronavirus.
  
  
• Communication Friendly Environments
  
  Blogs and tools (e.g. social stories) that are communication friendly focussing on topics such as social distancing and wearing masks.
  
  
• Coronavirus Book by Manuela Molina
  
  Illustrated book about Coronavirus for children. 
  
  This story book is also available in many different languages from Mindheart.
  
  
• Cosmic Kids Yoga
  
  Yoga, Mindfulness and relaxation for Kids aged 3+.
  
  
• Dr Karen Treisman-resources to support children and adults around anxiety, worry, stress, and fears; including specific Covid-19 information
  
  Free videos, worksheets, tips, tools, podcasts, and resources.

• Every Mind Matters
  
  NHS approved information on mental health and self-care for young people. 
  
  
• Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership
  
  A range of resources aimed at children and families including services available, how to talk about Coronavirus and bereavement, see the dedicated area on their mental health and wellbeing hub.

• Headspace App
  
  Guide to daily mindfulness activities.
  
  
• Hope Clouds Activity
  
  Planning activity for young people and teachers about their hopes when returning to school.
  
  
• MIND resources for young people
  
  
• What to do if you are anxious about coronavirus 
  
  
• Looking after your mental health while self isolating
  
  
• National Autistic Society (NAS)
  
  The NAS has compiled a range of information and resources to help those with autism and other communication difficulties during the pandemic.
  
  
• NHS Self-Care Kit for Children
  
  Document for children that explores managing their feelings and worries, and ways to relax.
  
  
• NSW education department (Australia based but still has some useful resources for return to school)
  
  
• Daisy’s first day: a children’s book about Daisy the koala on her first day at primary school
  
  
• A special place: a children’s book showing what it is like to go to school.
  
  
• Oxford Owl for Home -John Burgerman: Everybody Worries 
  
  Free e-book for young children to help managing worries and anxieties surrounding coronavirus and any changes it has brought to their lives.
  
  
• Place2Be
  
  Place2Be is a children’s mental health charity that provides counselling and mental health support and training in UK schools. They have a dedicated area on their site with information on COVID-19.
  
  
• Reachout ASC Website
  
  Reachout ASC is a centre of excellence for supporting pupils with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC). The website offers resources on lockdown and COVID-19. mental wellbeing, social stories and visuals.
  
  
• See, Hear, Respond Partnership.  Barnardos have set up the See, Hear, Respond Partnership to quickly identify and support children, young people and families who are struggling to cope with the impacts of coronavirus.
  
  
• Stars Website
  
  Range of Social Stories, Symbols, Worry Plans, transition guidance for schools and transition booklets for children to complete.
  
  
• Staying Well at Home: Coping With Anxiety and Stress
  
  A free workbook for young people aged 11-19 years old.  It looks at

• Picturing mental health - what good mental health looks like for you.
• Lockdown life - things you are coping well with and areas you may want to work on.
• Ten tips for coping with change.
• The emotional wellbeing spectrum
• Young people in isolation worksheet - stress triggers for me and things that may improve my emotional wellbeing.
• Ten tips for sleeping better.
• Stress triggers, understanding stress and tips for coping with stress.
• Understanding thoughts, feelings and actions and how you respond to different challenges.
• Things that make you happy.
• Helping hand - people you could call on for support with anxiety and stress.
• Postcard to my future self.
• Useful contacts.
  
  
• The Autism Educator
  
  A coronavirus social story from The Autism Educator referencing social distancing and why we are unable to visit favourite places.
  
  
• The Health for Teens website delivers interactive messages and advice, covering a range of topical subjects, such as Coronavirus and online gaming that promote health and wellbeing and help young people to make the right choices.
  
  
• Think Resilient- What Can I Control document 20-minute activity for young people to identify ways to look positively at challenges and minimise the negative effects of them.

Take a moment to try this breathing exercise if you feel overwhelmed.

• Breath in for 4 seconds.
  
  
• Hold your breath for 4 seconds.
  
  
•  Breath out for 4 seconds.
  
  
• Hold your breath for 4 seconds.
  
  

Take 2 normal breaths and then start again.

A printable copy of the worksheet is available in our download section.

The worksheet was developed by Eliza Brabbins, CAMHS Youth Worker, MPFT. 

When you find yourself feeling overwhelmed try doing this exercise to help distract and calm your mind.

5.  List five things you can see.

4.  List four things you can feel.

3.  List three things you can hear.

2.  List two things you can smell.

1.  List one thing you can taste.

A printable copy of the worksheet is available in our download section.

The worksheet was developed by Eliza Brabbins, CAMHS Youth Worker, MPFT. 

Take the next 10 minutes to write out everything this bothering you.

Include your thoughts, fears, feelings and frustrations.

Then ask yourself

"What can I control in this situation?"

"What things do I have the power to change?


"What can't I control in this situation?"

"What things do I need to let go of?"

"What positive activities can I do to take my mind of them?"


A printable copy of the worksheet is available in our download section.

The worksheet was developed by Eliza Brabbins, CAMHS Youth Worker, MPFT. 

Write down all the ways you can help yourself when you're having a hard time.

Make sure you inlucde things that relax you or make you laugh, as well as activities you enjoy and things that make you feel happy.

Then set yourself a challenge to do at least two of these activities by the end of the day.

A printable copy of the worksheet is available in our download section.

The worksheet was developed by Eliza Brabbins, CAMHS Youth Worker, MPFT.