Mental Health support for young people

Find information about support and services for children and young people who need help or advice with mental health issues and emotional wellbeing.

In Islington, our Social, Emotional, Mental Health (SEMH) Services are available to support any young person in Islington who may be displaying difficulties with their emotional wellbeing and/or mental health.

Referrals can be made through the Children’s Services Contact Team (CSCT) which is a single point of access for a range of different services. They will direct you to the right service.

Services include:

Mental health crisis or emergency

A mental health crisis means that someone may need urgent help with their mental health - such as suicidal feelings, self-harm, panic attacks, flashbacks, hypomania or mania, or psychosis (such as paranoia or hearing voices).

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis and you don't feel like you can keep yourself or them safe, seek urgent specialist mental health support through one of the following routes:

Phone the 24-hour mental health crisis line on 020 3317 6333 to access specialist support. In an emergency, always call 999
Contact your local GP surgery and ask for an emergency appointment. You don’t need to be registered as a patient already

Looking after your wellbeing

Mental health affects us all. It is about how we think and feel about ourselves and how we cope in difficult times.

We all have a state of mental health which changes from time to time. Good mental health helps us feel positive about today and hopeful for the future.

The Five Ways to Wellbeing are a set of steps that any of us can take to improve upon our wellbeing:

Connect. Spend time with people around – you at home, school or in the local community.
Be Active. Exercising and movement makes you feel good. Look for an activity you enjoy.
Keep Learning. Learning isn’t just for school. Study something new- or try something different.
Give. Help other people by being kind, smile or say ‘thank you’. Do something for others.
Take notice. Be curious about the world around you! Look at the nature around you – beautiful flowers, birds, trees.

More resources

Kooth - If you’re aged between 11 and 18, or a child in your care is, Kooth offers free, safe and anonymous online wellbeing and mental health support.

Young minds - Range of mental health support for young people up to the age of 19, and parents.

NCL Waiting Room website - Explore over 300 wellbeing options for young people in Islington and across North Central London.

Minds Matter at The Peel Centre - Mental health awareness workshops for young people (12-24) or parents of young children (under 12). Sessions are short, informal and interactive, aiming to increase general knowledge about mental health problems and increase knowledge of what local services are available for when people need help.

The Mix - Digital charity for young people with information and a forum on wide range of topics, including mental
health, eating disorders, sex, alcohol, drugs & self-harm. Also offers a phone line for 1-to-1 chats.

Papyrus - Runs a national helpline to support and provide advice to young people or anyone worried about a young person on suicide prevention. Also provide training courses to professionals on raising awareness to suicide.

B-eat (Eating Disorders Association) - The UK eating disorder charity specializes in supporting individuals with all kinds of eating disorders (including anorexia nervosa, bulimia, binge eating, emotional eating). They have a specialised youth line and student line to support young people with eating disorders. They also organise online support groups and chat rooms for a peer-supported environment.

Islington and Camden Young Carers Service - Run by Family Action, this service provides support for young carers (including children) in terms of family support, outreach groups and focus groups.