Children’s Mental Health Support

Children’s mental health is closely linked to their overall development and future outcomes. Addressing children and young people’s mental health needs early on is key to preventing more severe challenges from occurring later in life. Open, supportive environments, spreading awareness of support services or mental health conditions, and conversations around mental well-being can help children feel able to seek vital help when they need it most.

Our members recognise the importance of early intervention and the positive impact that the right mental health support has on a child. This week is Children’s Mental Health Week, and we’d like to highlight our members who work tirelessly to support children’s mental health.

Find out more about our members who specialise in supporting children’s mental health here:

• Autistic Children and Carers Together (ACCT) is a friendly, Sheffield-based charity led by parent-carers of autistic children and young people. Their aim is for all autistic people in Sheffield to be valued and supported to live happy and fulfilling lives. They run several fun, accessible activities each week, providing a supportive environment where autistic children and young people can relax, be themselves, develop confidence and make friends, as well as a social group for young autistic adults, support for parent-carers, and regular activities for families. All of their services and activities are free.
• BLAM UK CIC is a charity that is dedicated to improving outcomes for Black Britons to promote a positive dialogue of social identity and culture through history. They run several projects for children to achieve this including The Grounded Project, a school-based project where African and Afro-Caribbean history and culture is taught to key stage two and three pupils, and School Exclusion Appeal Services for Black British students.
• Chrysalis Care New Generation CIC has provided therapeutic intervention to children and young people who very often face a long wait for CAMHS in Kent. They develop practices that are person-centred and informed by the voices of children and young people who are looked after.
• Coda Music and Arts Trust (formerly hArt) uses music and the arts as tools for personal and social change, providing a place to learn, train and develop, and offering help and support through participation and creative therapy. They make a positive impact on the local community and tackle inequality by providing universal access to a broad range of artistic and creative services and by delivering innovative education and health programmes. This includes music and art therapy sessions for children, young people and adults with a wide range of disabilities living in Dorset and Hampshire, and beyond, delivered by fully qualified therapists.
• Heads Up Ltd CIC is located in the North East of England and they provide unique innovative education packages to support the development of emotional literacy and wellness in children and young adults. As a Community Interest Company, they are a not-for-profit organisation that is dedicated to providing services to individuals and groups within their local community.
• Kids activities and bootcamps (Kabs) is a non-profit Community Interest Company developed by CEO and Director Thomas Cashen as a result of his own life experiences. They deliver bespoke physical activity and emotional health and wellbeing programmes and activities for children, young people, adults and families in schools and community settings.
• Kids Inspire provides mental health and trauma recovery support for children, young people and their families through a range of therapeutic and community activities to promote resilience, self-awareness, and relationship-building. They are based in Essex and aim to ensure that all children in the UK receive specialist support to become healthy adults who lead complete and fulfilling lives.
• Minds Ahead CIC is a social enterprise committed to making a step change in school mental health to ensure that all schools are inclusive communities where pupils and staff thrive because their mental health is well supported, now and for generations to come. They design and deliver mental health qualifications, training, and strategic consultancy which empower school leaders and staff with the knowledge and tools to create environments where everyone belongs, feels understood, and knows how to strengthen their mental health.
• No5 Young People has been providing early intervention counselling and outreach for young people aged 11-25 who live, work or study in the ‘RG’ postcode area. They offer free, confidential, open-access mental health support and counselling face-to-face, online and in local secondary schools. No5 Young People also has a Programme of outreach support delivered by Young Ambassadors who create online content and support to help young people feel better able to take charge of their mental health and feel more in control.
• North-East Wellbeing‘s purpose is to create new landscapes of life chances for vulnerable children through colourful and creative education. They do this by providing good leadership, governance and finance so that their family of projects can flourish. Their range of projects includes Wilderness Schooling, Zone West – a social prescribing project, Curious Beasts – exploring feelings through puppetry, Therapeutic Schooling and Wilderness, as well as new campaigning and research work.
• Our Time is a registered charity and their mission is to help the 2.9 million children and young people who are affected by parental mental illness. As thought leaders in this area, they train professionals to identify and support children of parents with mental illness by setting up local community multi-family workshops under licence. Our Time also works with schools to equip them to address the needs of these children and young people. This work is in prevention to break the inter-generational cycle of mental health problems by building up children’s resilience.
• Reverse The Trend Foundation began in 2014 when its founder learned of how a 12-year-old child in the UK had received a gastric bypass as a life-saving measure. The Foundation has created a team of business leaders, public sector experts, academics and scientists to exchange ideas and create an innovative and integrated solution to the childhood physical and mental health crisis. They also work as part of an NHS Partnership to deliver both Universal and Targeted Services in Mental and Physical Health to young people aged 4-18.
• Step Out Mentoring is an early intervention mentoring organisation that provides support for children and young people in the heart of South London through outdoor-based 1:1 mentoring and group workshops. They work with children and young people aged 8-18 who are disengaged with education and/or life and work to support them in forging a way through life, encouraging them to thrive and become positive change-makers in their communities.
• The Brave Project CIC is a UK-based initiative that provides culturally competent mental health support and resources for Black, Asian and minority ethnic boys, young men, and their families to prevent suicide and later mental health crises.
• Winchester Youth Counselling offers short-term and longer-term therapy, designed to meet the individual needs of each young person. This includes one-to-one counselling, nature therapy, and walk-and-talk counselling, serving local children and young people navigating mental health challenges. They have also introduced a youth wellbeing drop-in service in January 2024, offering even more accessible support.