Help at your fingertips – Getting the right support for children with mental health needs

Help at Hand supports many children with mental health issues who do not have appropriate accommodation, therapy or support. Sometimes this is because the supply is not readily available, or there may be a disagreement between the NHS and children’s social services about who is responsible for providing or funding the support that the child needs. Help at Hand is contacted by advocates, professionals and children themselves, often when the situation has reached a crisis point.

Below are two recent experiences of children* who have come to Help at Hand:

Joey is a child in care. He had been on the waiting list for several months for CAMHS support. When he finally got his first date, he was told he was no longer eligible because he had been transferred to another region. Help at Hand contacted the local CAMHS service and was offered an appointment in their area.

Sihan is detained under the Mental Health Act. She spent 2 years in an inappropriate service where she was only supposed to be on a short term basis. His mental health deteriorated in this context. Help at Hand is advocating for her to be moved to a more appropriate hospital setting where she can get the support she needs.

You can find more information about Help at Hand and mental health in our Annual Report and in this Blog from November.

Children, advocates and professionals can contact Help at Hand by calling 0800 528 0731E-mail [email protected]or via our online form:

Contact us | Children’s Commissioner for England (childrenscommissioner.gov.uk)

*Identification details have been changed