Services and support for Young People

Beat: Eating Disorders

Around 1.25 million people in the UK suffer from eating disorders, many in secret. Beat's national helpline exists to encourage and empower people to get help quickly, because we know the sooner someone starts treatment, the greater their chance of recovery.

Befriending for Children in Care

Young Lives Foundation befriending programme is designed for young people in care. Volunteer Independent Visitors can be a consistent adult who take a long term interest in the young person’s life when they may experience multiple changes of placement, carer and social worker.

Big Deal? Gambling information, advice and support for young people

The Young People’s Service (YPS) is a dedicated team that helps young people between the ages of 11-18 who are experiencing harm because of gambling or gaming. The team can help if you are struggling with gambling/ gaming yourself or if you are affected by someone else’s gambling/gaming

Building Connections

Building Connections is an online service for young people up to the age of 19, empowering them to find a way through loneliness. Young people work with a trained befriender, who guides them and champions them each step of the way. Building Connections gives young people tools that can help them build their confidence and better equip them to manage loneliness.

Chat Health

Chat Health is an anonymous and confidential texting system for 11 to 19 year olds. Young people can text 07520618850 for advice and support on any health issue, including physical or emotional health concerns

Children and Young People’s Counselling Service

These sessions can help a young person gain understanding and develop strategies to help them feel better. Support is offered for stress, anxiety, low mood, behavioural issues, self-harm and anger.

CHUMS – Bereavement Support

CHUMS offer specialist bereavement support to children and young people from 3½ up until their 26th birthday in Kent and Medway.

Cruse – Bereavement Support and Information

Support and information to help people through one of the most painful times in life. Learning more about the grieving process can help you understand what you or someone close to you is going through. The Cruse website has a range of information and resources to help.

Dandelion Time

Dandelion Time is a Kent based charity offering nature-based therapy to families who child/children may be experiencing mental health challenges.

Emerge Advocacy Service

Emerge volunteers are there to support young people aged 10 – 25 when they come into hospital because of self-harm, a suicide attempt or because of an emotional crisis.

Healthy Empowering Relationships Advisory (HERA)

The Healthy Empowering Relationships Advisory (HERA) service is for 10-18 year old girls, young women, and those who are gender diverse. The HERA service is designed to support and empower young people to make informed choices about the emotional and physical relationships that they have and give them the confidence and emotional resilience to enact them. Anyone can refer to HERA, including parents, professionals and the young person themselves.

KCC support for young parents

Kent County Council can give support and advice to young women who are pregnant or have a child, young fathers (or fathers-to-be), and parents and families of young women who are pregnant, so that we can help young parents to stay in (or get back into) education, employment or training.

Kent and Medway Safe Havens

Safe Havens are a walk in service to anyone, aged 16+ who may be feeling distressed, frightened, overwhelmed, or that things are too much. Open 6pm - 11pm every evening, including weekends and bank holidays from 4 locations in Kent - Canterbury, Thanet, Medway and Maidstone.

Kent Young Carers

One in ten young people living in the UK are thought to be a Young Carer – that’s approximately 3 Young Carers per classroom! Kent Young Carers supports those aged 5-18 yrs who are providing care, support or supervision to any family member that may have; a long-term illness, physical or neurodevelopmental disability, suffering with poor mental health or substance misuse issue.

Kooth.com online support and counselling

Free online support and counselling for young people in Kent.

Legends

Young Lives Foundation Legends Programme provides a fun, supportive and safe setting for young people to engage in new, exciting opportunities and experiences.

Mental Health Service for Kent Children and Young People

Find the most appropriate contact details if you are concerned about a young person’s thoughts, feelings or behaviour's. Including single point of access (SPA), locality teams, neurodevelopmental and learning disabilities service, all age eating disorder service and crisis support information.

NELFT All Ages Eating Disorder Service

Specialist help and support for those experiencing disturbances in eating behaviour, as well as feelings of distress or extreme concern about body shape and /or weight.

Porchlight Adolescent Wellbeing Service PAWS

This service is for 10-17 year olds in Thanet who are experiencing anxiety or similar issues, a breakdown in family communication, or a breakdown in relationships with their school or peers.

Release the pressure

Don’t suffer in silence: Phone 0800 107 0160 or Text SHOUT to 85258 or for free confidential support at any time.

Samaritans

Every seven seconds, Samaritans respond to a call for help. No judgement. No pressure. They're there for anyone who needs someone.

Selfharm: Alumina

Alumina is a free, online 7 week course for young people struggling with self-harm. Each course has up to 8 young people, all accessing the sessions from their own phones, tablets or laptops across the UK.

Short Intervention Therapy

Mind North Kent provide Short Intervention Therapy (SIT) for children and young people in Medway aged 5-18 with a social worker supporting them and those 18-25 with Special Educational Needs or Care leavers experiencing emotional dysregulation and associated behaviours.

SHOUT

Get help. If you are struggling to cope and need to talk, our trained Shout Volunteers are here for you, day or night. If your life is at imminent risk, please call 999 for immediate help. Shout 85258 is a free, confidential, anonymous text support service. You can text from wherever you are in the UK.

The BeYou Project

The BeYou Project connects young people in Kent and Medway who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary or are questioning their sexual orientation and / or gender identity. Offering a safe, welcoming and non-judgmental space where young LGBT+ people can meet to socialise, have fun and help each other.

The Pod children’s therapies

The Pod has been developed by the Kent and East Sussex Integrated Children’s Therapies teams, provided by Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust. We support children and young people to develop their skills to their full potential, so they can participate in everyday activities.

We Are With You: Mind and Body Programme

Mind and Body accept referrals from young people, parents/carers and professionals. We Are With You can offer 1:1, group and in school support to young people aged 13-25 who may be struggling with self – harm or their mental health, where they have not taken any steps to end their own life in the last 3 months.