Services for Mental health and wellbeing

Most of us will have times when we experience periods of low mood, or anxiety which affect our general wellbeing, just like we will all struggle at times with our physical health. The things we do every day and the choices we make impact our mental health and being aware of these can help keep us on an even keel.

Here you can find information on the different types of mental health support for children and young people in Hertfordshire.

How to spot when your child needs support with their mental health
Where should I start?
Mental Health support you can get at school or college
Further support from health professionals
My child needs urgent help
Dynamic support registers (DSR) and Care, education and treatment Reviews (CETR)

How to spot when your child needs support with their mental health

Knowing when to ask for professional support for your child can be difficult, but as a parent or carer you will usually know when something is not quite right. Some of the signs to look out for are:

persistent low mood or lack of motivation
not enjoying things they used to like doing
becoming withdrawn and spending less time with friends and family
experiencing low self-esteem or feeling like they're worthless
feeling tearful or upset regularly
changes in eating or sleeping habits
feeling nervous or 'on edge' a lot of the time
suffering panic attacks

Where should I start?

If you're concerned about your child's mental health, you might want to start by doing your own research into mental health support and learn about practical strategies and tips which might help you to support your child at home. Our resource area has links to websites, and downloadable factsheets which can help you with this, including SEND specific information on mental health.

View our resource area

If you feel that your child needs some support with their emotional wellbeing, the Just Talk website has details of free services in Hertfordshire that don't need a professional referral, so you can contact them directly.

Visit the Just Talk website

Speak to your GP

Your GP may be able to advise or refer you on to other specialist services who can help.

Speak to your health visitor

If your child is 0 - 5 years old, your health visitor can support you with concerns about their mental wellbeing.

Speak to your school nurse

If your child is 5 years old or over, school nurses can tell you about services for wellbeing, and can check on your child's wellbeing during school.

Speak to the Children's Wellbeing Practitioners Service

For 5 - 19 year olds experiencing common emotional wellbeing and mental health difficulties.

Visit a Herts Haven Cafe

A free welcoming drop-in space for young people ages 10-18 to access support for their emotional wellbeing.

With Youth digital wellbeing service

Provides online support to children and young people (5-18) experiencing mental ill health and/or emotional distress.

Mental Health support you can get at school or college

Firstly, speak to your child's school or college

If your child is at school or college, the first thing you should do is talk to your child's class teacher, or form tutor. It is important that they are aware of the issues your child is experiencing. Many schools will have professionals within the school who may be able to offer support in the first instance. Schools can also refer your child to other support services:

School nurse

If your child is 5 years old or over, school nurses can tell you about services for wellbeing, and can check on your child's wellbeing during school.

School counselling service

The Counselling in Schools service provides counselling, arts therapy and drama therapy to primary and secondary schools across Hertfordshire. schools can request school counselling or mentoring. Schools can request this from Safe Space.

Mental Health Support Teams

Hertfordshire Mental Health Support Teams work within partner educational settings to provide early help and preventative support for children and young people aged 5-19 years with mild to moderate mental health difficulties.

The MHST helps to support mental health with workshops, group based work, and guided 1:1 self-help sessions.

You can be referred to this service by the Designated Mental Health Lead at your child's school. To access this service, the young person must attend a Hertfordshire or West Essex SEN School which is part of the MHST.

The SEND Mental Health Support Team (SEND MHST) supports mental wellbeing in many SEN schools in Herts and West Essex. To access this service, your child must attend a Hertfordshire school with an attached MHST, and must have a diagnosed SEND need, or be on the pathway for diagnosis. You can be referred to the service by the SENCo or Mental Health Lead at your child's school.

Find out more about the SEND Mental Health Support Team.

HABS Therapeutic Service (for families in DSPL4)

HABS Charity offers expert family support, parenting advice, coaching, counselling, and psychotherapy to children and young people in the DSPL 4 area (which covers Hoddesdon, Broxbourne and Cheshunt).

A child or young person can self-refer to this service, or can be referred by a parent, carer or professional. Contact the HABS team to find out how they can support your child.

Further support from health professionals

Discuss your concerns by phone

You can discuss your concerns with professionals by phone using the Single Point of Access (SPA) service from HPFT. They can give you advice and support, and can signpost you to other services if appropriate. Call 0800 6444 101 or visit the hpft website for live chat.

Step 2 Children and Young People's Mental Health Services (CYPMHS)

Step2 is a children and young people’s mental health service working with 0-19 year olds in Hertfordshire. They offer brief, goal focused interventions to those who have mild to moderate mental health difficulties. Step2 will accept self-referrals via Hertfordshire’s SPA (Single Point of Access) Call 0800 6444 101 or visit their website for more info.

NHS Talking Therapies

The Talking Therapies Service offers free and confidential talking therapy and practical support for Hertfordshire residents (aged 16+) experiencing a wide range of mental health problems such as: worry, low mood, insomnia and stress. You can self-refer to this service.

Positive behaviour, Autism, Learning disability and Mental health Services (PALMS)

PALMS is a multi-disciplinary team who provide individually tailored support to help families manage a number of concerns experienced by children and young people (ages 0 – 18) at home, including behaviours that challenge, sleeping, feeding, toileting concerns, mental health difficulties and sexualised behaviours. PALMS is available for children and young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or a global learning disability. You will need to be referred by a social worker, education or health professional.

Specialist Child and Young People's Mental Health Services (CYPMHS)

CAMHS offer services for 0-18 year olds in Hertfordshire. They provide interventions for moderate and severe emotional and behavioural difficulties. For help and support and information on referral, phone the 24 hour Single Point of Access (SPA) on 0800 6444 101.

National Deaf CAMHS

This service provides highly specialised mental health care to deaf children and young people (aged up to 18 years) and their families and hearing children of deaf adults in the community.

Help for older children and adults

Many of the services listed above offer support for children up to 18 years old but as your child gets older, the type of support they might need will also change. The services below are specifically for older children and young people over the age of 16.

Talking Therapies

Talking Therapies offers free and confidential talking therapy and practical support for Hertfordshire residents (aged 16+) experiencing a wide range of mental health problems such as: worry, low mood, insomnia and stress. You can self-refer to this service.

Adult Community Mental Health Services

Adult Community Mental Health Services work with service users to aid recovery and enable them to return to their full potential in day to day life. The service is for 18-65 year olds who have non-psychotic disorders including Personality Disorder and Neuro-Developmental disorders and those with a psychotic or mood disorder.

Dynamic support registers (DSR) and Care, education and treatment Reviews (CETR)

The Dynamic Support Register and Care Education Treatment Reviews enable teams of professionals across all areas to identify people with learning disabilities and/or autism who are at risk of being admitted to a mental health hospital.

DSRs and CETRs enable an intensive package of support to be provided, helping to prevent the young person's admission to a mental health hospital. Or, if it is felt someone does need to go into hospital, the aim is for it to be for the least amount of time needed. Watch this short animation to find out more:

Hertfordshire DSR & CETR processes for children/ young people (under 18's) YouTube

Hertfordshire DSR & CETR processes for adults (over 18's) YouTube

Should my child/young person be on the Dynamic Support Register?

Your child, young person or adult should be on this register if they:

Are currently in a hospital setting;
Are referred for or accessing specialised services for challenging behaviour (e.g. intensive support services, specialist short breaks, special schools, residential care and supported living);
Are subject to the provisions of the Mental Health Act or subject to Deprivation of Liberty safeguards;
Have had a previous hospital stay (for example, within the last 5 years);
Are / were involved with the youth or criminal justice system (for example, within the last 12 months);
Are children in 52-week educational placements;
Are in receipt of NHS Continuing Health care (CHC) funding;
Are in receipt of services from youth offending teams (YOT).

Should my child/ young person have a CETR?

Children and young people up to the age of 18 who need extra support have the right to a Care, Education, Treatment review (CETR). A CETR should start when a hospital admission is being considered. You also have the right to ask for a CETR for your child or young person at any time if you have concerns about a placement breakdown, if there is a crisis or if there is a risk of inpatient admission. If your young person is over 18, this will be called a Care Treatment Review (CTR). CETRs are for children and young people who have learning disabilities and/or autism and who have been, or may about to be admitted to a specialist mental health hospital (Tier 3 or Tier 4). The CETR makes sure that local services (social care, Special Educational Needs (SEN) Team and school or college) are involved so all issues can be addressed and solutions found.

Find out more about CETRs

If you think your child should be on the DSR, or might be eligible for a CETR, then please contact the lead professional that is supporting you and your child. If you do not have an identified lead professional, you can refer to Children Services by calling 0300 123 4043 or CAMHS by calling SPA on 0800 6444 101.

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