This section covers resources and information on a variety of difficulties children and young people can experience.
Childline
Support and advice for you from Childline.
Get Self Help
Get Self Help provides free cognitive behaviour therapy, self help and therapy resources.
Visit the Get Self Help website.
BBC
It can be hard to know where to start when it comes to your mental wellbeing, but there are lots of tools that can help.
MindEd
MindEd is a free educational resource on children, young people, adults and older people's mental health.
The Mix
The Mix provides content, community, counselling and crisis support.
Sane
Sane is an independent mental health charity aiming to raise awareness, improve services, provide emotional support and host research.
Stem4
Stem4 are a charity that supports positive mental health in teenagers, raising awareness and enhancing detection and education. Offers resources, information, and downloadable apps around anxiety, depression, self-harm, eating disorders and addiction.
Barnardo’s
Barnardo’s have put together a collection of information and resources on different topics that are affecting young people. It includes emotional wellbeing, back to school, family support and advice surrounding children and young people’s internet use.
Family Lives
Advice and resources on a variety of mental health topics.
Visit the Family Lives website.
Gingerbread
Gingerbread are fighting to create a world where all single parents and their children thrive.
Visit the Gingerbread website.
Kooth
Get free, safe and anonymous support on Kooth.
The National Youth Advocacy Service
The National Youth Advocacy Service offers child and family advocacy services, alongside a range of additional support. They offer targeted support services for care-experienced children, young people, adults in vulnerable situations, families and sector professionals across England and Wales.
Visit the National Youth Advocacy Service website.
Shout
Shout is a free text messaging service which provides 24/7 support for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis. Connecting people to trained volunteers, enabling them to move from a moment of crisis to a calm state and form a plan for next steps to find longer-term support. Text SHOUT to 85258. A number of resources are also available on the website.
Action for Children
Action for Children protect and support children and families by providing practical and emotional care and support as well as providing fostering and adoption services. They have launched an online parenting hub ‘Parent Talk’, to provide extra parenting support and advice, includes articles on common parenting questions as well as a live chat service which will connect you to a qualified parenting coach.
Visit the Action for Children website.
Kinship
Kinship care is when a child lives full-time or most of the time with a relative or friend who isn’t their parent, usually because their parents aren’t able to care for them. They provide information and advice on benefits and other sources of financial help. They also provide information and advice in enquiry areas such as legal orders, housing, employment, community care, education and childcare. The advice line is open Monday to Friday 9.30am until 2pm on 0300 123 7015.
NSPCC
NSPCC specialises in child protection and the prevention of cruelty to children. If you’re worried about a child, contact for help, advice and support. Telephone them on 0808 800 5000 or email help
Paul Lavelle Foundation
The charity aims to raise awareness of male domestic abuse, support male victims and survivors and provide healthy relationship education as a preventative measure.
Visit the Paul Lavelle Foundation website.
Youth Fed
Youth Fed support is targeted towards supporting young people who have autism or other learning difficulties, for example, dyslexia, ADHD, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, auditory processing disorder, language processing disorder.
Kids Health
Kids Health offer doctor-reviewed advice on hundreds of physical, emotional, and behavioural topics.
Visit the Kids Health website.
Mind
Mind offer advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.
HappyMaps
HappyMaps is a one-stop hub of information on young people's mental health for parents, professionals and young people.
CAMHS Ready
CAMHS Ready is a tool for young people and their families that makes sure you get the most out of your first visit to CAMHS. If you’re struggling with your thoughts, feelings, or actions, we can help.
Visit the CAMHS Ready website.
Young Minds
Self-esteem is how you think and feel about yourself. It’s not just about how you look, but also how confident you feel. Young Minds' tips can help you believe in who you are.
Visit the Young Minds website.
Zillo
Zillo – A website designed by and for Wirral’s young people. All content in the ‘newsfeed’ is written and developed by a group of Zillo Young Reporters who contribute articles about topics important to them. The Hub contains information on a wide range of topics such as online safety, counselling, alcohol & drugs and sexuality & gender, with links to local services for young people to get help and support. A new YouTube channel called ‘Zillo TV’ has also been launched with videos relevant to young people’s health and wellbeing.
Family Toolbox
Family Toolbox focuses on giving families the tools to find their own answers, to help them be the best they can be. This service is supported by the family toolbox website, which acts as a free online hub with lots of information about family life to share, boosting parents’ confidence and skills and helping families develop that vital bounce-back ability, so they can weather life’s storms.
Visit the Family Toolbox website.
SENDLO
SENDLO - Wirral's local offer of SEND services
Wirral Info Bank
Wirral Info Bank - Information about local services and support for residents in Wirral.
Visit the Wirral Info Bank website.
The Hive Youth Zone
The Hive Youth Zone opened in 2017 as a state-of-the-art space dedicated to offering Wirral’s young people opportunities and experiences they can’t find anywhere else.
Join the thousands of other young people on the Wirral who’ve joined The Hive to try loads of different activities, hang out with friends and get involved with incredible projects to help build your life skills – all with the support of our expert team of youth workers, who are here for you, whatever you need.
Visit The Hive Youth Zone website.
Citizens Advice Wirral
Citizens Advice Wirral offers help and advice across issues including management of debt, problems with housing and rent, relationship issues, consumer rights and help to claim Universal Credit. Web chat is also accessible via the website.
Visit the Citizens Advice Wirral website.
Crea8ing Careers
Crea8ing Careers run family education workshops and parenting programmes, resilience programmes for young people, along with support groups and career & employability support. Additionally, they provide CPD accredited professional training on Adverse Childhood Experiences Awareness.
Visit the Crea8ing Careers website.
Foundation Years Trust
Foundation Years Trust provide support for parents and carers with their children aged 0-5 on early learning and development. They run several fun groups and courses for parents/carers and offer training to staff in nurseries and schools in how they can support parents to provide good learning environments.
Visit the Foundation Years Trust website.
Heart4Refugees
Heart4Refugees support refugee families or individuals through art therapy, cycling & bicycle club, language classes and music therapy. They also offer a drop-In centre and a hot lunch cooked by the community. They provide a safe place for asylum seekers and refugees to make friends, seek help and get involved in the community. They have plenty of games and activities to keep you busy.
Visit the Heart4Refugees website.
Involve Northwest - Connect Us
Involve Northwest - Connect Us aim to enable residents to improve wellbeing together and feel less isolated. Puts you in touch with a Community Connector who can support you to set goals towards feeling better and link you to activities, groups, organizations and services to achieve your goals.
Visit the Involve Northwest - Connect Us website.
The Positivitree
The Positivitree helps families of children, young people or adults with additional health or care needs. They offer group support and coffee mornings, one to one peer led coaching around wellbeing and selfcare, support around accessing services specific to families with additional needs, advocacy services, yoga and movement classes.
Visit The Positivitree website.
Wirral Credit Union
Wirral Credit Union is an alternative way to save and borrow. A credit union is a not-for-profit financial co-operative that exists to help its members manage their finances better by providing savings facilities and access to low-cost loans.
Visit the Wirral Credit Union website.
AJ & Friends Association
AJ & Friends Association provide respite care for children and young people. Counselling and wellbeing support, workshops to promote self-care as well as stay and play sessions for children and young people with complex additional needs.
Visit the AJ & Friends Association website.
Hatch
Hatch (delivered by Utopia Project) is for young people aged 8-16 years. Hatch is an emotional wellbeing support service, providing one to one sessions in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy & mindfulness, to help develop a range of skills and strategies that can positively impact mental health and wellbeing. Volunteer mentors will support you to complete a computerised therapeutic intervention whilst exploring the strategies that work best for you.
The Drop In
The Drop In is drop-in centre which enables young people to access one to one support on any issues that may be affecting them. From family problems and bullying to worrying and anxiety our team offer comprehensive support aimed at helping young people move forward.
The Open Door Centre
The Open Door Centre for those aged 17+, provide mental healthsupport for young people free of charge. Also offers music and art provision. Free and immediate access to Computerised Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CCBT), face-to-face counselling and meditation/mindfulness for those wishing to improve concentration and relieve stress.
They offer a number of projects, including:
- Bazaar – Blends elements of CBT, Mindfulness and more to help those aged 17+ to understand their mind and give them the tools to support themselves in the future.
- Colours – A wrap around initiative which provides support and guidance to parents at the earliest possible opportunity, focusing on proactive solutions and building resilience.
- Oomoo – Emotional wellbeing support for young people through creative classes, therapeutic interventions and peer support.
- Leaf – Aimed at inter-family dynamics which may result in aggression or communication breakdown between parents and children. Offers de-escalation training, weekly discussions with other parents who have similar experiences as well as monthly support sessions.
Visit The Open Door Centre website.
Youth Matters
Youth Matters provide a wide range of targeted youth support and play activities to meet the needs of children aged 6-19 years. Including: advice, play schemes, youth clubs and counselling, all to build confidence and support young people into adulthood.
Detached Youth Work Team are a part of the Youth Matters Team who provide early help by engaging with young people aged 13- 19 years, who are often vulnerable to exploitation and criminality. The team build trusted relationships with young people, listen to their story, open doors and help navigate them through uncertain times.
Visit the Youth Matters Facebook page.
Caritas Shrewsbury
Caritas Shrewsbury are a social action agency focusing on the rights and services of children and families, providing practical and emotional support to those experiencing hardship and difficulties. They work with individual children and families in the community or in schools helping them deal with a range of issues such as Domestic Violence, poverty, positive parenting, low self-esteem, isolation and neglect.
Visit the Caritas Shrewsbury website.
Ferries Family Groups
Ferries Family Groups support parents and families through peer support groups, one to one support and courses such as a 10 week Nurturing Programme and 4 week Parenting Teenagers programme.
Visit the Ferries Family Groups website.
Next Chapter
Next Chapter is an early intervention service working with children, young people and adults to help improve wellbeing. Offer a range of programmes dependent upon need, including: peer support, one to one support, workshops, courses and activities.
Visit the Next Chapter website.
Safe Families for Children
Safe Families for Children works with children’s services to link families in need with local volunteers who can offer help and support. Host family volunteers offer short periods of respite when children cannot stay at home. Respite can be stays with a host family or daytime support, both one off or recurring. Helping parents get back on their feet.