Resources

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

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.

Autism Central for Parents and Carers

We understand that as parents and carers of autistic children, young people, and adults, finding the right support can be challenging. We're here to simplify the journey for you, helping you learn more about autism and the services available.

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.

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.

Childnet – online safety for young people

Childnet is a charity that provides online safety education, resources and advice for children, young people, parents, carers and professionals.

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.

Dad Space

Dad Space provides a safe space for dads to talk, listen and share their experiences of fatherhood across the country.

Dads Unlimited

Dads Unlimited supports the emotional safety of men and those they care about through three key areas; supporting male victims of domestic abuse, supporting men with family separation, and supporting men’s mental health. All of our services use an evidence-based, trauma-informed, person-centred approach.

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.

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.

Everyday Mental Health course

This 1 hour course explores common stressors such as financial worries, how these can impact us and how we can positively manage our own wellbeing. Delivered by Mid Kent Mind.

Exam Support Guide

The guide, written for young people, includes explanations of what stress might look like, how to keep on top of revision planning, self-care tips and links to further support

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.

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.

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 & Medway Self-harm guidance

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.

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.

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: 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.

MindEd for families

MindEd for Families has advice and information from trusted experts and will help you to understand what problems occur, what you can do to best support your family, and how to take care of yourself.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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 Sleep Charity

Whether a parent or a professional, it is important to understand how important sleep is to good health, the impact of sleep deprivation and how we can prioritise sleep.

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 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

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.

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.

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 course

This course is suitable for anyone who supports, encounters or cares for a young person including health care workers, school staff, family and youth group leaders. Delivered by Mid Kent Mind.

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.