Links

This page provides links to more information on the following topics:

Mental Health Apps – NHS

Below there is a link to the NHS website that published a list of apps they recommend for Mental Health

https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/category/mental-health/?fbclid=IwAR3ERVXDUBBdjNAqAcMe0uoy3h5fO4FqrCvK1w4DEkbVrsp6rDyIBrScU3M

Suicide Prevention Support

Below there is a link to Staying Safe from Suicidal Thoughts website (includes electronic or downloadable safety plan)

https://www.stayingsafe.net/home

Bullying

Sources of information and advice for bullying are provided below. Alternatively, for more information on bullying, have a look at our factsheet.

  • Wokingham Safeguarding Children Board. Are you worried or concerned about a child’s safety or wellbeing? Please contact your local authority safeguarding team.
  • Young Minds is a UK charity committed to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people. This includes providing information and support on bullying.
  • Red Balloons is the recovery of bullied children. As well as free online information, the charity provides an ‘intensive care’ full-time education for children aged between nine and 18 who are unable to go to school because they have been severely bullied or have suffered trauma, such as the death of a parent, abuse, rape or some other experience that makes them particularly vulnerable.
  • Bullying UK (part of Family Lives) provides professional, non-judgmental support and advice in a way that all members of the family can freely access. This is provided through a 24-hour helpline, the website, email and live chat services, befriending services, and parenting/relationship support groups. Nearly all services are accessible at no charge to parents, 365 days a year.
  • The Anti Bullying Network provides support anti-bullying work in schools, provides information online and offers an anti-bullying service which includes the provision of training, publications and consultancy services.
  • The Coram Children’s Legal Centre provides free legal information, advice and representation to children, young people, their families, carers and professionals, as well as international consultancy on child law and children’s rights. Part of the Centre’s expertise is in child protection.
  • Counselling Directory is a confidential service that encourages those in distress to seek help. The directory contains information on many different types of distress, as well as articles, news, and events. To ensure the professionalism of our website, all counsellors have provided us with qualifications and insurance cover or proof of membership with a professional body.

Drugs and substance use

Below are some useful links for people with substance use problems, or for concerned families and friends of those with problems. For more information on drugs and substance use, have a look at our factsheet.

  • Talk to Frank provides information and where to find help on drugs for young people.
  • The Department of Health pages are intended primarily as a resource for a wide range of professionals and managers to help in the delivery of drug prevention and treatment services. Some of the information will also be of interest to parents, young people and students.
  • DrugScope is one of the UK’s leading centres of expertise on drugs. Its aim is to inform policy development and reduce drug-related risk. The organisation provides quality drug information, promotes effective responses to drug taking, undertakes research at local, national and international levels, advises on policy-making, encourages informed debate and speaks for its member bodies working on the ground.
  • AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) provides a full list of local meetings and support in your area. The site can also provide information and can direct you to meetings for families and partners of those with alcohol problems. There are often also specialist local meetings, such as women’s discussion groups.

Gender Diversity

Relationship, sex and sexual health

If you’re worried about something and want to speak to someone in confidence, give us a call on 0118 977 6710 and arrange to speak with one of our counsellors.

For more information on relationships and sex, you can check out our factsheet or you can visit the following sites:

  • R u thinking? provides information for young people on sex, sexual health and pregnancy.
  • Brook provides free and confidential information for under 25s on sex, sexual health, contraception and pregnancy.
  • FPA – The Sexual Health Charity – provides information for anyone on sex, sexual health, pregnancy and local clinics.
  • R U Clear is a service run by the NHS which offers sexual health tests of a high quality for free. RUClear offers free tests for sexually tranmitted infections (STIs) chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis.
  • Sex worth talking about is an NHS site providing information on everything to do with sex – sexual health, contraception, how to talk about it and what to do if you’re thinking about doing it.

Alternatively, you can call the Sexwise Helpline on 0800 282 930, to talk about anything to do with sex, including sexuality, relationships and any concerns you might have.

Self-harming

The following links can provide you with more information if you are worried about your own or someone else’s self-harming – or you worried that someone you know might be self-harming. Please link to our factsheet for more information.

  • Mind is a mental health charity. While self-harming is not a mental health problem, it can occur more often in people who are depressed or suffer from another mental illness.
  • The NHS provides information on signs and causes of self-harm, and also how to get help.
  • ChildLine is a private and confidential service for children and young people up to the age of 19. You can contact a ChildLine counsellor about anything – no problem is too big or too small. As well as finding information online, you can also call free on 0800 1111, have a 1-2-1 chat online or send an email.As well as finding information online, you can also call free on 0800 1111, have a 1-2-1 chat online or send an email.

Finally, for more information on self-harming, you could read Lynn Martin’s article entitled ‘Self-harm the solution, not the problem’, which first appeared in the BACP Children and Young People Journal, June 2013.

With kind permission fom Lynn Martin, you can access this article by clicking here.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is about being more aware of what’s going on in your life, how you’re feeling about things and what causes you stress, so that you are better able to reduce your stress levels, and generally feel happier and calmer in every day life. It will also help you to be able to better cope with stressful things when they happen.

For more information on mindfulness, please click here to download our factsheet.

You can download a spoken three-minute guided mindfulness session here.

Gambling

Please see this local service which is available to anyone who is concerned about their own behaviour or a family member or a friend who may be affected.

Advisers are available seven days a week from 8am – Midnight on Freephone 0808 8020 133 or via web chat at www.gamcare.org.uk.

https://www.annafreud.org/parents-and-carers
https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/for-parents
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zctjkty?fbclid=IwAR1pVcPzAPUKb0Hm3gxVJ1yVJM8oicAsq3YZJ7jR-LTF1idSrw3ZbRY908U
https://www.childbereavementuk.org

Support for single parents

https://www.gingerbread.org.uk/information/you-and-your-childs-wellbeing/support-for-children-and-young-people