Mental health and behaviour
For concerns about your child’s behaviour or mental health, please contact your school nurse for advice by following this link
Any CAHMS referral needs school involvement first.
Alternatively, ‘Off the Record’ is a mental health support service for young people from 11 to 25 years of age. (https://www.otrbristol.org.uk/ or Freephone 0808 808 9120)
There are several resources to support children with anxiety. Please speak to the school’s pastoral support team. You can also try using these resources:
- https://www.happymaps.co.uk/ HappyMaps is an award-winning charity developed by healthcare professionals with help from parents and young people. We’ve pooled what we think are some of the best mental health resources for parents, carers, and young people, all in one place.
- https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/mental-health-conditions/anxiety
- https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/your-feelings/anxiety-stress-panic/anxiety/. 0800 1111 Helpline for children. You can contact Childline about anything. Other ways to contact Childline available on their website https://www.childline.org.uk/get-support/
- https://www.otrbristol.org.uk/
The Sanctuary in Bristol is also a safe space to come for support when you can no longer cope or are feeling very alone. For people over the age of 16, they offer face to face and phone support. Phone 07709 295 661 after 4pm for an appointment at NBT.
The Mix (Crisis support for under 25s) – 0808 808 4994 https://www.themix.org.uk/get-support
Support service for under 25’s providing support on a wide range of issues. Web chat is also available on their website
On my mind – (https://www.annafreud.org/resources/children-and-young-peoples-wellbeing/) Contains information, advice and resources to help young people support their own mental health, including signposting to sources of support in times of crisis and tools to help young people manage their own wellbeing
Mermaids – (www.mermaidsuk.org.uk ) Mermaids supports transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse children and young people until their 20th birthday, as well as their families and professionals involved in their care.
Kooth – https://www.kooth.com/https:/ This is an online mental wellbeing site for children and young people.
Compass is an Early Help team and provides information and advice regarding early help both directly to families, as well as to professionals who are supporting them to achieve meaningful and positive outcomes without the need for statutory intervention. Every nursery, preschool, primary and secondary school in South Gloucestershire has a named Compass Partnership Worker who professionals can contact for early help advice and support. Families can contact the Access and Response Team (ART) for information/advice and support on 01454 866000
ADHD
Children with suspected ADHD who are at school and aged 5 and over can usually be assessed and referred by school SENCOs. Parents should initially raise concerns via this route, if possible, rather than via a GP. f the school referral route is not available, a GP or other health care professional can make a referral to community paediatrics.
- children with ADHD symptoms that are aged under 5 years can receive support through locally delivered behavioural interventions focussing on the management of attention difficulties and challenging behaviour, such as the Incredible Years course. These can be accessed without a formal diagnosis of ADHD. Links for courses are available below:
- South Glos
Autism Spectrum Disorder/ASD
Referrals for Specialist Autism Diagnostic Assessments require supporting information from the family and educational setting and are best made by people that know a child well. In most cases this is not the GP.
Families can be encouraged to prepare referrals in partnership with the child’s SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) or self-refer. https://sirona-cic.org.uk/children-services/resources/making-a-referral/.
GPs are on the permitted referrer list and may opt to be the primary referrer if a child is not in education, or if the GP has valuable additional information to contribute to a referral.
School Fit Notes
The practice recognises that there is good evidence of the correlation between non-attendance at school and reduced academic achievement and support schools in the schools’ efforts to reduce non-attendance. We are able to provide information to a school about a child’s health and support the school with the development of healthcare plans as long as there is consent from the parents and child. These requests for information should be made by the school, and not the parents. We lack the detailed knowledge of the support available in schools and so are not able to write letters to say that a child should not attend school. Parents who feel that this is the best course of action need to discuss this with the school’s pastoral support team. The school can then contact us for support in agreeing a plan if required.
