Support for Mental and Emotional Health

In Northumberland we follow a graduated response to Mental Health from early help and support to more specialist help following the Thrive Model.

The Thrive model is an integrated, person centred, and needs led approach to delivering mental health services for children, young people and their families. It conceptualises need in five categories; Thriving, Getting Advice and Signposting, Getting Help, Getting More Help and Getting Risk Support.



Be You website, website provides resources and support for Young People, Parents and Carers and Professionals around mental and emotional health and wellbeing.

Kooth, Online support for young people between 11 -25 years. 
 


Click here to watch the kooth video.

Work in partnership with other agencies to ensure children and young people grow up to be healthy, make the right choices about their health and to safeguard their welfare so they are protected from significant harm.

You can expect support and information on:

• Healthy eating
• Immunisations
• Emotional health issues such as anxiety, stress or depression
• Behavioural problems
• Child growth and development
• Continence (bed wetting)
• Sexual health
• Parenting support
• Smoking and substance misuse

Every school or academy has their own school nurse. Many of the high schools also have a drop-in school nurse service.

Our special school nurses are health professionals with additional training to provide specialist nursing and public health advice in specific schools. This includes delivering education to children with disabilities and complex physical and/or emotional health needs.

For more information about the School Nurse service click here.

This is a targeted, early intervention children’s mental health service for children and young people presenting with moderate mental health issues.

PMHWs work with children and young people (0-18), parents / carers and professionals across Northumberland, providing:

• Interventions on a one to one and group basis with young people and their families
• Telephone consultation line to provide advice, guidance and signposting to professionals, parents/carers and young people over the age of 15
• liaison with colleagues in universal, targeted and specialist services to help children and young people access the right support at the right time
• Teaching and training to raise awareness of children’s mental health with colleagues in a range of universal services across education, health, social care, youth and community and voluntary services.

Mental Health Support Teams 'Be You'

Educational Mental Health Practitioners working into the ‘Be You’ mental health support team model.  offer support in the trailblazer areas of Hexham and Blyth partnership of schools and currently embedding in to Ashington and Bedlington,

Support includes:

• Providing mental health support to  develop a whole schools approach to wellbeing
• Providing 1:1 and group based evidence-based interventions and therapeutic support around  mild to moderate mental health needs .
• Offering advice and a signposting role to schools to enable them to access the right source of mental health support using the graduated approach .

The Peer mentor

The role of the Peer Education Worker within the Be You team is to develop and facilitate a Peer Mentor Programme initially within the trailblazer schools, in Blyth, Hexham, Ashington and Bedlington. The aim of the programme is to support young people within their schools and community settings to promote positive emotional wellbeing.
The Peer Education Worker will also:

• Work alongside school staff to set up and deliver a sustainable training programme
• Support young people whilst attending the training course and provide supervision
• Evaluate the programme and provide impact reporting

For more information about these services please click here.

Telephone: 01661 864588
Email: PMHW@northumbria-healthcare.nhs.uk

The Children and Young People’s Service provides a single service to all children and young people aged 0-18 years living in Northumberland who present with mental health difficulties.

This includes children and young people who may have learning difficulties and those living in a range of difficult and challenging circumstances.

The service is able to provide:

• Assessment, diagnosis and intervention on a range of mental health issues.
• Intensive response and home-based treatment for those children and young people whose mental health is causing significant concern.
• An intensive Eating Disorder Service to support children and young people on the eating disorder pathway who are at risk of an inpatient admission.
• A comprehensive transition support package to those young people who are approaching their 18th birthday and may need continuing support as adults.
• Training, consultation, support and advice to front line staff working in targeted services for children.

For more information click here.

This pathway sets out the support that is available to assist children and young people (and their families) in Northumberland where unmet needs may be due to an underlying Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

The pathway is based on the Thrive model (see explanation below) which has been adopted across Northumberland to ensure an appropriate level of support for identified needs.

The goal of this pathway is to ensure that children and young people gain appropriate support, are assessed and referred appropriately as needed.

Click here view the Northumberland and Young People's 0-19 ASD Pathway.



Thrive Support Model Explained:

• THRIVING: All those children and young people who do not need individualised advice or support. This population is supported by universal services and minimal additional support is required. The support that is required is already readily available.
• COPING:  This level of support is sufficient to minimise the impact of identified needs and provide reassurance to children, young people and their parents/carers. Early help and support is required to improve educational, social and emotional outcomes.
• GETTING HELP: Children and young people who benefit from more specialist outcome-focused, evidence-based approach with clear aims designed to address specific areas of need.
• GETTING MORE HELP: Children and young people who would benefit from a diagnostic assessment and specialist assistance where there is evidence of significant need in one or several areas.

Northumberland CYP 0-19 ASD Pathway Sources of Advice (Thrive Model)

This document sits alongside the Northumberland Children and Young People's 0 to 19 ASD Pathway document and outlines the sources of help and support available to children, young people and their families with suspected or diagnosed social communication needs/ ASD. The contact details for key services and agencies who offer support are included. 

Click here to view the Northumberland CYP 0-19 ASD Pathway Sources of Advice (Thrive Model).

Northumberland Inclusive Education Services (NIES)

Emotional Wellbeing and Behaviour Support Service

The Emotional Wellbeing and Behaviour Support Service provides support and advice to schools and young people. The service is in place to support children and young people who are displaying challenging behaviour due to underlying social and emotional needs.

For additional information click here to visit: Emotional Wellbeing and Behaviour Support Service Webpage

Autism Support Service

The Autism Support Team offer school based support to children and young people in Northumberland with social communication difficulties or a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

The Service aims to develop and enhance the skills and practices of school staff and improve educational outcomes for children and young people with social communication/ASD needs in educational settings across Northumberland.

For additional information click here to visit: Autism Support Service Webpage

Psychological services

Northumberland's Educational Psychologists work with educational settings, children and families. We support children and young people who are experiencing difficulties or delays in their development. For example, their communication, interaction, cognition, learning, social and emotional needs, and mental health.

Click here to watch a short video explaining the work Educational Psychologists do.

For more information about Psychological Services click here

Barnardo’s Orchard Mosaic provides counselling to children and young people up to 18 years who have experienced bereavement and/or sexual abuse.

The experienced Team of counsellors use a variety of approaches in their direct work with children and young people including a person centred approach, solution focused approaches and play therapy.

The Team offer counselling both face to face at the Barnardo’s office, in schools and/or in community venues and also remote delivery via digital platforms. Referrals can be made via the child’s GP or other professional supporting the family eg. Children’s Social Care, Early Help.

The Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team is a team of experienced mental health staff, which includes nurses, social workers, psychiatrists and pharmacy staff.

We offer assessment and home treatment for people experiencing a mental health crisis, as an alternative to hospital admission.

The team operates across Northumberland 24 hours a day 7 days a week. However, the crisis team does not provide an ’emergency’ service such as a 999 response.

Telephone Number 0303 123 1146