HomeInformation for parents and carersNational Helplines and Websites
National Helplines and Websites
Mental Health
Action for Children – Build Sound Minds Campaign
Build Sound Minds is a campaign for improving young people’s emotional wellbeing. They offer advice on how to support your child and share resources and guidance on how to look after yourself as a parent.
This parent’s guide to depression contains useful information about how to talk to children and young people who may be experiencing depression.
Mental Health Problems in Children and Young People: Guidance for Parents and Carers
This leaflet offers guidance on how best to support your child and where to find further advice and help with their mental health.
MindEd is a free learning resource about the mental health of children, young people and older adults.
Parent and Carers Self-Help Guides
This resource offers a number of useful guides for parents and carers who are experiencing their own emotional health difficulties.
These resources can help parents and carers to support the emotional wellbeing and mental health of their children and young people.
Social Media and Teenagers : A Practical Approach
Is social media damaging the mental health of young people? The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust has produced this leaflet looking behind the headlines.
Once a month, experts from Young Minds Parents Helpline answer questions on a chosen topic live on Facebook. Joined by mental health professionals or experts in the field, they share their top tips, advice and next steps you can take.
Self-Harm
Coping with self-harm: A Guide for Parents and Carers
This guide provides information for parents and families about self-harm and its causes and effects. It is based on current research on self-harm and on the interviews with parents whose children self-harmed. It contains quotes from them with advice for other parents as well as evidence-based information and links to sources of help.
Papyrus – Prevention of Young Suicide
Papyrus is a national charity for the prevention of young suicide. They deliver awareness and prevention training, provide confidential support and empower young people to lead suicide prevention activities in their own communities.
This resource provides a range of information to support those who have been bereaved by suicide.
The project is aimed at young people who are self harming or at risk of self harming, their parents and the professionals working with them. As part of No Harm Done, a series of resource packs were created for young people, parents and professionals. To access the resource pack for parents please click here.
Child Safety
The NSPCC helpline provides help and support to thousands of parents, professionals and families.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ)
Identifying as LGBTQ can be incredibly isolating both for the person and family who support them.
Mermaids is passionate about supporting children, young people and their families to achieve a happier life in the face of great adversity.
Stonewall’s mission is to empower all young people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, to campaign for equality and fair treatment for LGBTQ people, and against discrimination.
Online Safety
Whether you are an online expert or you’re not sure where to start, the NSPCC’s tools and advice will help you keep your child safe. Whether you want to set up parental controls, adjust privacy settings or get advice on social networks, experts from the free O2 and NSPCC helpline are available to help: 0808 800 5002.
This resource offers information to help parents understand the digital world and raise resilient children.
Thinkuknow is an education programme from the National Crime Agency’s CEOP Command to keep children and young people safe.
This resource provides advice for parents about responding to their children viewing upsetting online content. This includes advice about blocking content and details of other sources of information and support for children and parents.
Staying Safe Online in the School Holidays
For many children and young people school holiday time will be spent using the internet to keep in touch with school friends, catch up with the latest apps and online trends, and play their favourite games. This blog looks at ways in which parents and carers can help keep their children safe as they start to spend more time online.
Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND)
If you are an autistic person, or know an autistic person who wants to help people around them understand what their normal is, this tool can help.
The National Autistic Society is the leading UK charity for autistic people and their families. They provide information, support and pioneering services, and campaign for a better world for autistic people.
The Ultimate Guide to Helping Children with Autism Sleep Soundly at Night
Research has found that 40 to 80 percent of people on the autism spectrum struggle to sleep. This guide includes more than 90 tips to help your family get more restful sleep.
Sensory integration is about how our brain receives and processes sensory information so that we can do the things we need to do in out everyday life.
This is a leaflet for families about the STOMP and STAMP programme, making sure children and young people with a learning disability, autism or both are only prescribed the right medication, at the right time and for the right reason.
Exam Stress
For many young people, receiving exam results can be a stressful and anxious time. Barbara, from our Parents Services Team, answers our questions on what parents can do to support their child on results day.
The regional young people’s group, Stairways with help from Calderdale Tough Times Reference Group has produced a short video to help spread some positive messages at what can be a stressful time for some young people.
An emotionally healthy approach to GCSEs, a guide for parents.
Supporting Your Teenager Through Their Exams
Exam time can be very stressful for everyone in the family as your teen may be feeling anxious and under pressure.
Help Your Child Beat Exam Stress
Tests and exams can be a challenging part of school life for children and young people and their parents or carers. But there are ways to ease the stress.
Transition
Transition from Primary to Secondary School is a huge milestone for children and their families. The resources below offer advice and support with this stage of your child’s life.
Family Lives is a charity with over three decades of experience helping parents to deal with the changes that are a constant part of family life.
This resource helps parents to help their children understand the importance of getting organised and getting into a routine. It also helps parents when wanting to help their child with homework and to understand the importance of feedback.
Oxford Owl is an award-winning website from Oxford University Press created to support children’s learning both at home and at school. For tips on helping children transition and settle into year 7 click here.
