Services and Support for Young People
This page will provide you with a list of services and support available for young people to support them around specific areas of their emotional wellbeing and resilience.
Single referral pathway for both the Therapeutic Support Service (TSS) and the Kent Therapeutic Alliance (KTA)
The Kent Therapeutic Alliance (KTA) brings together a range of established partners to ensure that children and young people get the right support at the right time. When you make a referral, we’ll match you with the service that would be most helpful, but you can also find out more about the individual KTA partners below.
The Children and Young People’s Therapeutic Support Service (TSS) supports children and young people in Kent who would benefit from support to improve their emotional wellbeing.
The alliance offers a range of support including:
- Oasis – BeYou is an identity‑affirming, inclusive programme for LGBTQIA+ children and young people, including those who are questioning or exploring who they are. One‑to‑one sessions for young people who may benefit from short‑term individual support and an online parent/carer session is available to help adults feel more confident in supporting LGBTQIA+ young people.
- Involve – The Navigators service provides practical and emotional support for care leavers, unaccompanied asylum‑seeking young people, and Looked After Children preparing for independent living.
- Young Lives Foundation – The Young Lives Foundation is a charity that listens, supports and empowers disadvantaged young people in Kent, through Advocacy, Mentoring, Befriending and Activity Programmes.
- Mind and Body – Mind and Body programme supports young people who are experiencing self‑harm or those at risk of self harming due to mental wellbeing struggles. It is a combined programme encompassing group learning and individual sessions.
- Salus – Therapeutically-Informed Family Support Service is a specialist, trauma-informed service for children and young people who are already being supported by NHS Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS) and who present with a higher level of need and risk.
- Rising Sun – The service helps young people understand and manage the impact of domestic abuse and supports their emotional recovery.
- Chums – provides specialist support for children and young people who have experienced complicated grief or traumatic bereavement.
- Spurgeons – supports children and young people who are struggling to manage strong emotions, may be self-harming, acting on impulse, or finding relationships difficult.
Other Local and National Services
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Amparo
Liaison workers provide practical and emotional support to anyone bereaved by suicide.
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Beat: Eating Disorders
National organisation offering support and information in relation to eating disorders. Formal diagnosis is not needed to seek help. Calls to the helpline are free from landlines and mobile phones within the UK and do not appear on itemised bills.
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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
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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.
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Chat Health
Young people can text with a member of the school nursing team about any physical or emotional health concerns they have. This service is confidential and anonymous.
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Compass Programme in Family Hubs
The Compass Programme within Kent County Council Family Hubs is a wellbeing program for young people, particularly those aged 11-18, that uses Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) principles. It aims to teach skills for managing emotions, improving relationships, and coping with stress in a group setting.
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Connect! Programme
Connect! is for neurodivergent young people aged 9-18 across Kent.
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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.
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Dandelion Time
Dandelion Time is a Kent based charity offering nature-based therapy to families who child/children may be experiencing mental health challenges.
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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.
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Emotional wellbeing Team in Primary & Secondary Schools
EWT's are specifically trained to help children at school with their emotional wellbeing and mental health. They offer evidence based, targeted support for difficulties such as low mood, worry and anxiety.
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Grief Encounter
Offers specialist one-to-one help and support from a qualified therapist, for CYP who have experienced the death of parent or sibling (including sibling figure) or who have experienced the death of a family member who was their main carer (the person they lived with). Must be bereaved not less than 4 months ago, and not receiving therapy from another service.
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Holding On Letting Go
Supports bereaved CYP, and their families both pre and post bereavement. Provides 1:1 & groups sessions to develop peer support, the offer of support is dependent on individual assessed needs.
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Kent and Medway All Age 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.
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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.
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Kent Family Hub
Family Hubs offer a one-stop shop for advice, support and help to navigate local services for CYP and their families.
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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.
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Kooth.com online support and counselling
Free online support and counselling for young people in Kent.
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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.
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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.
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Primary Community Network Mental Health Practitioners
Primary Community Network Mental Health Practitioners (PCN MHP) are specially trained clinicians embedded in specified GP surgeries across Kent to help children and young people who may be experiencing low to moderate mental health and emotional wellbeing issues which present as low mood, self harming behaviors, anxiety, school refusal, behavioural difficulties, or sleep difficulties. Offers direct 1:1 work with CYP, or parent led support.
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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.
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Samaritans
Every seven seconds, Samaritans respond to a call for help. No judgement. No pressure. They're there for anyone who needs someone.
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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.
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Slide Away
Offers support to parent/carers, schools and other professionals to help them to support a breaved child in their care. Offers Workshops for those bereaved of a parent or sibling, and Memory days for those . Also offers support to CYP who have a parent or sibling with life limiting illness.
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The Mix – Counselling service
If you’re looking for short-term support with your mental health and emotional wellbeing, The Mix Counselling service could be right for you. Our free counselling is open to any young person aged 13 to 25. In a confidential, safe space, our trained counsellors are here to listen, understand what you’re going through and help you find ways to cope.
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We are with you – Drug & Alcohol Support
Free, confidential 1:1 (or optional group) support for CYP in Kent who are worried about their drug or alcohol use.