Resources

“Nobody Likes Me!” – How to help your child

What should you do when your child comes home from school and says, “Nobody likes me?" Children of any age can sometimes feel friendless. Here is an article about how parents can help their children who feel like they have no friends,

10 Tips for Parenting Pre-Teens

10 tips for parenting pre-teens. How to stay close as children move into adolescence.

A parents’ guide to supporting children and young people: ADHD and Autism

A useful resource from Oxfordshire Health Foundation Trust, of a series videos for parents and carers supporting children and young people with ADHD and Autism.

Action for Children: Parent Talk

Action for children offer a free and confidential live chat with a qualified parenting coach. They can talk about anything that supports family life, caring for children or managing their own wellbeing.

Adoption Partnership South East

If you are a parent of an adopted child, an adopted young person or are affected by adoption and you would like to learn more about adoption support services in Bexley Kent or Medway, please visit Adoption Partnership South East, the Regional Adoption Agency

Advice and Information for Parents and Carers about Self-harm

For some tips on how to support your child with their mental health and wellbeing specifically concerning self-harm, and where to get help take a look at Young Minds parents support guide.

Anti-bullying Training Booklet – Created by KYCC

This session will give you the basic knowledge on how to support someone if they are being bullied.

Anxiety and Autism

In England, 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (such as anxiety and depression) in any given week. In this video Dr Rachel Hussey, NELFT’s Consultant Clinical Psychologist, discusses understanding the world from the neuro diverse perspective, differences in the way the brain functions, different thinking styles and how this may contribute to anxiety

Anxiety: A Guide for Parents and Carers

Many autistic children and young people experience anxiety. This guide talks about the ways you can help your child to manage their anxiety, including keeping a diary to explore what makes them anxious, and how to seek medical advice.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

It is common for children to be highly active, especially at younger ages. In most cases, this is normal behaviour and they will gradually grow out of it. However, for some children, there could be an underlying difficulty, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Here NHS Great Ormond Street Hospital explain about ADHD and where to get help.

Back to School: Top Anxiety Triggers for Pupils

Back to school: Top anxiety triggers revealed by Barnardo's survey. BBC Newsround help to increase understanding of why young people might struggle when it's time to go back to school.

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.

Blocked Care : What is it and what do we do about it

Learn how blocked care and trust are developed by a child or a certain person. This video explains how we can avoid them and how to support others or help them feel relieved from that trauma.

Brain Highways: The Proprioceptive System

Introductory Brain Highways video on the effects of poor sensory integration, particularly proprioception.

Brain Highways: The Vestibular System

Introductory video on the effects of a poorly integrated vestibular system.

Brain in Hand

Brain in Hand gives easy access to personalised support from an app on your phone. It’s packed with features to help you remember activities, reduce anxiety and feel supported.

Child in Mind

A series of expert podcasts to help parents understand and manage child and family mental health problems.

Childhood Trauma and the Brain

A general introduction to what happens in the brain after children face traumatic experiences in childhood, like abuse and neglect.

Choosing school subjects: A checklist for parents to help their teen

If your child has been asked to choose the subjects they want to take for their GCSEs, you’ll know this can be a tricky time for them, especially if they haven't decided what areas they'd like to specialise in. BBC Bitesize have got you covered with some key advice.

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.

Dad info – Because Dads matter!!

A website dedicated to supporting fathers when it comes to parenting their children.

Depression: a guide for parents and carers

A guide for parents and carers of children and young people with ASD who are also experiencing depression.

Developmental Trauma

This document draws on current evidence and thinking to re-frame the ‘problems’ often seen in children with developmental trauma.

Down’s Syndrome Association: Emotional wellbeing resources

The Down's Syndrome Association have created an innovative set of resources to support the emotional wellbeing of children and adults with Down’s syndrome, and their parents and family-carers.

Every Mind Matters Kent

Mind plan and supporting information and signposting to local services to support you

Everyday Active Kent: Explore activities

Keeping active is more important now than ever. Being active in a way that is right for you can improve your physical health, help manage stress and anxiety and just generally make you feel better.

Exam results stress: advice for parents

Yound Minds’ Parents Helpline team have written an article to share key tips for how parents or carers can support young people around results day.

Exclusion from Education: Turning Things Around

Alongside parents and carers The Anna Freud Centre have created the ‘Turning Things Around’ resource to capture the lived experience of families who have faced exclusion, with the hope that it may support other parents and carers through what can be a challenging process.

Free Mental Health Awareness and Autism courses from the Aim Group

Suitable for staff and parents/carers, free courses available include understanding children and young people's mental health, and understanding specific learning difficulties.

Good Mental Health Matters resources

Good Mental Health Matters resources are now available to download at home by you and your children. The resources include videos, activities and information for primary and secondary school age children.

Hand Brain

This video explores what is going on when your child "flips their lid", has a tantrum or outburst. A video by Dr Anita Marsden. This links opens on Facebook.

Helping your child with anxiety

Young Minds have produced this helpful article for parents who are wanting to help a child that is experiencing anxiety.

Information, Advice and Support Kent (IASK)

IASK support families of children and young people (0 – 25 years) with special educational needs or disabilities. They hope to empower children/young people and their parents to make informed choices about their children's education, other outcomes and communicate confidently.

Internet Matters

A one-stop shop resource featuring guides and apps about internet safety.

Interoception: The New Topic in Autism

Interoception is our 8th sense. It is the one BIG thing no one is talking about, but should be!!!

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 Mental Wellbeing Information Hub

Kent and Medway Mental Wellbeing Information Hub provides help, support, advice and services information for anyone of any age around mental health and wellbeing.

Live Well Kent

Live Well Kent can help you improve your mental and physical health and wellbeing. It is a free service for anyone aged 17 and over.

Live Well Kent: six ways to wellbeing

The Wheel of Wellbeing for physical and mental health including body, mind, spirit, people, place and planet.

Local advice and support directory

Search Kent's local advice and support directory here.

Making Every Contact Count (MECC) in Kent

We all meet and interact with people every day at work, at home and in our communities. ‘Making Every Contact Count’ (MECC) uses these interactions to support people in making positive changes to their physical health, mental health and general wellbeing.

Mencap: Support for parents and carers of children and young people

Mencap offer information about support available for parents and carers of children and young people with disabilities and how to get it.

Mind and Body Self-Harm training

Mind and Body offer free training sessions to help parents and carers support a child / young person who is self-harming.

Mind: Parenting with a mental health problem

Mind explains about some of the difficulties you may face parenting with a mental health problem, the support available and suggestions on how to help yourself and your children.

National Autistic Society

The National Autistic Society is here to help the 700,000 autistic people in the UK and their families. Visit the website or call the helpline on 0808 8004104

NHS Talking Therapies

NHS Talking Therapies (IAPT Services) provide mental health support services for adults experiencing difficult emotions, such as low mood, anxiety and stress.  You can access a range of NHS therapies from the website.

NHS: Living with ADHD

Although it can be difficult at times, it's important to remember that a child with ADHD cannot help their behaviour. People with ADHD find it difficult to suppress impulses, which means they do not stop to consider a situation, or the consequences, before they act.If you're looking after a child with ADHD, you may find the advice from NHS helpful.

NHS: Teenage pregnancy support

Finding out you're pregnant when you're a teenager can be daunting, especially if the pregnancy wasn't planned, but help and support is available.

NSPCC

NSPCC provide support and guidance online for parents and carers of children and young people who are self-harming. You can contact their Parents/Caregivers helpline on 0808 800 4900 or text 88858.

One You Kent

One You Kent provides information and guidance for healthy lifestyle choices with a selection of free apps and support offered via telephone.

Online safety – internet matters

Get tools and tips to support your child’s digital wellbeing on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp

Parent Online Resilience Tools from HeadStart Kernow

A suite of resources to help parents and carers put online behaviour into age related context and also help them open up meaningful conversations

Parenting Smart

Place2Be has launched Parenting Smart a new website resource for parents and carers of 4-11 year olds, to help support children’s mental health, and manage their behaviour.

Parents guide on gaming

Information and advice from Young Minds to help you and your family create a healthy culture around gaming, and to help you support your child if they're struggling.

Refusing to go to School – how can you help your child?

It is very common for children to refuse to go to school, but when does this behaviour indicate a possible mental health problem or when is it a social problem?

Regulating emotions and supporting wellbeing through play

The British Psychological Society has produced this video to provide advice for parents and carers on the psychology behind playtime and how it helps children and young people manage their emotions.

relate: Coping with disruptive teenagers

Being a parent to teenagers can be a challenging, worrying and sometimes distressing time. While teenagers are pushing against the system in their search for independence, as parents you can feel rejected, criticised and confused. The home can become a battleground with constant power battles and high emotion. Here, our family counsellors share their top tips on how to cope with parenting difficult teens.

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.

Resilience Tool for Online Behaviour from HeadStart Kernow

The Online Resilience Tool is a practical way to assess young people's online behaviour and help you make a decision about whether that behaviour represents risk of harm.

Rethink: about mental illness

Information and advice about mental illness.

Samaritans

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

Scope: Managing your stress when caring for your disabled child

Many parents of disabled children feel under pressure or stressed. Managing stress might help you to feel more in control.

Self-care top tips for young parents and carers

This Anna Freud booklet booklet offers some simple self-care advice for young parents and carers about the importance of self-care and looking after their own mental health and wellbeing whilst raising children.

Self-harm prevention and advice for professionals, families and young people

There are three sections to Kent and Medway’s guidance document: one section for professionals who work with children and young people in various settings; one section providing support and advice for parents, families and carers; and, a section which was written with children and young people offering support and advice.

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.

SEND Information HUB – Kent’s Local Offer

A local offer gives children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities and their families information about what support services are available in their area.

Sensory processing and self-regulation

The booklet covers the basics of sensory integration, including the eight senses involved, and explores common sensory challenges children may face. It emphasises the importance of self-regulation and provides insights into the difficulties children may experience in managing their emotions and behaviors.

Seven things parents should know about adolescent behaviour

The moods, the inability to get out of bed in the morning, the embarrassment of being around parents. We’ll all recognise these common teenage behaviours. But why do adolescents act in these ways?

Spark UK – Resources and Educational Tools to support Mental Health for all ages

relatable, easy-to-use and educational resources for all ages to support mental health. From lesson plans to videos to assemblies, we have a wide range of resources suitable for everyone.

Supporting a child that is being trolled online

Find out more about how to tackle hate online and online trolls with Internet Matters useful advice guide, what online hate is and to how to support your child.

Supporting autistic young people to manage their periods

In this guide, parents, carers and autistic young people share some tips and advice about how to ensure that you are doing all you can to support young people.

Talking about Mental Health with children of primary age (Anna Freud)

Simple advice and guidance to parents and carers of primary aged children about how to make conversations about their child's feelings part of everyday conversations.

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.

The Teenage Brain

BBC Bitesize tell us how recent discoveries in neuroscience have shown that our brains change rapidly during our teenage years and continue to develop until our mid-twenties.

This May Help – advice for when you have concerns about your child’s mental health

The website gives easy-to-follow advice to help families manage their child’s mental health. This advice was developed by NHS professionals and parents who’ve been through their own child’s mental health journey. Parents and carers have shared advice that helped them and that may also help other families.

UK Trauma Council: Childhood Trauma and the Brain

A general introduction to what happens in the brain after children face traumatic experiences in childhood, like abuse and neglect.

Understanding self esteem

Action for Children help us to understand self esteem. Learn how to recognise if a young person is experiencing low self-esteem and what responses can positively impact on a young person's self esteem.

Understanding your traumatised child

The Centre of Excellence in Child Trauma present this video to help you understand your child.

Virtual School Kent

VSK supports carers of children and young people who are or who have been in care. It is a place to access information, advice and guidance

Walk with us

A Toolkit for Supporting Children, Young People and Families Affected or Bereaved by Suicide

Ways to calm an anxious child

Psychology today provide some helpful ways to calm an anxious child

What do young people worry about most

BBC Newsround tell us the top worries and stresses for young people today. This article also links to films and resources that will help to increase a parents understanding of young people's worries and how to best support them in difficult times.

When your child’s friends become enemies

Nothing sends a parent’s heart soaring like a child making a new friend, and nothing can send it crashing like a child’s friend becoming an enemy. There are ways parents can spot the kinds of friends who may turn into enemies, and there are ways that parents can help their children through fights with friends.

Why is it so important to address anxiety?

Guide from the National Autistic Society, exploring anxiety in those with ASD, how this can affect them and ways of identifying, reducing and managing this.

Window of Tolerance

Find out how a traumatised child swings from fight/flight to freeze/collapse; and what adults can do to help bring the child back into their window of tolerance so they can be at their personal best.

Witherslack Group

A series of webinars to support parents/carers of children with special educational needs.

Young Minds: parents guide to supporting anger

If you're finding it difficult to deal with your child's angry behaviour, here is some advice on what to do and where to get help from Young Minds.

Young Minds: Parents survival guide

Parenting isn’t always easy. Although it’s often amazing and rewarding to watch your children grow, and to help them learn to be independent, it can also be really hard work. Young Minds have created a parents survival guide full of tips and advice for parenting skills.

Young Minds: Supporting your child with ADHD

If your child is struggling to manage their ADHD, here are some ways you can support them and places you can get help.

Young Minds: Supporting your child with low mood and depression

If you're worried that your child is feeling low or struggling with depression, here’s Young Mind's advice on what you can do and where you can find support.

Young Minds: Supporting your child with school anxiety and refusal

If your child is refusing to go to school, or is feeling anxious, here's Young Mind's information and advice to help you support your child and work with the school.

Youth Mental Health and Suicide Awareness Training

This course delivered by Mid Kent Mind is suitable for anyone who supports, encounters or cares for a young person including family members, teachers and youth group leaders.

Youth Sport Trust: Active parents, active children

Active parents have more active children, and those children are more likely to grow up to become active parents themselves, so by being active parents, not only are you helping your own health, you’re likely to be making your children more active too. Youth Sport Trust and Change4Life has released simple guidance for parents to help get families active.