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Support and advice around children's mental health and wellbeing.

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How to support your child’s mental health – Place2Be

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Place2Be works with schools to help parents support their child’s mental health and improve their emotional wellbeing.

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Grief support for young people.

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Additional support

If you n one-to-one and group sessions with a bereavement support worker or bereavement counsellor . Sessions are usually delivered at a set time, over a period of up to 8 weeks.

Not everyone will need additional bereavement support or counselling . However, if you feel you are really struggling or have experienced severe, traumatic and/or multiple bereavements, or if you have complex personal circumstances, we encourage you to submit an enquiry. Someone from our team will then assess your individual circumstances and make a recommendation about the level of support you need.

Due to high demand, there is currently a waiting list for additional support. In the meantime, you can still get great support by reaching out to our bereavement support workers over live chat, email, phone or text.

You will need to be aged 13 or over to submit an additional support enquiry. If you are aged 12 or under, please ask a trusted adult to support you with your enquiry.

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If you're a grieving young person aged 25 or under, we're here to help with information, on-demand services, bereavement support and counselling.

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Advice on getting support from mental health services.

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Getting support from mental health services

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Read our information and advice on the different types of mental health support available to your child, and how you can access them.

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New 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Text and Online Chat Service Launches in Lincolnshire    

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New 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Text and Online Chat Service Launches in Lincolnshire    

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People across Lincolnshire can now access confidential urgent mental health support through a new text and online chat service called ChatHealth. The service offers a discreet and accessible alternative for people who may find phone calls or face‑to‑face contact difficult. ChatHealth has been developed to support individuals experiencing a mental health crisis and is an extension of the NHS 111 option 2 mental health support provided by the Lincolnshire 111 Mental Health Team. It enables secure two‑way messaging between people seeking help and trained healthcare professionals.

Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with the team aiming to respond to messages within two hours. Anyone needing urgent mental health advice can send a text or start an online chat.

Two dedicated text numbers are available:

•         Adults (18+): 07312 263027

•         Children and young people (under 18): 07480 635303

To chat online, visit:

•         Adults (18+): https://chathealth.nhs.uk/start-a-chat/h/LincsMentalHealth

•         Under 18: https://chathealth.nhs.uk/start-a-chat/h/LincsCYPMentalHealth

•          After sending a message, users will receive an automated reply confirming receipt. Demographic details are requested, but people can choose to remain anonymous.

ChatHealth is available to anyone experiencing emotional distress or mental health concerns, including low mood, anxiety, overwhelming feelings, self‑care difficulties, or thoughts of self‑harm, and to support anyone worried about a loved one. The service cannot provide prescriptions, medication reviews, diagnoses, face‑to‑face assessments, hospital admissions, welfare checks, or GP referrals. People already supported by a mental health team should continue to contact their usual service during office hours.

This service is free, however text messages may be charged at the network’s standard rate. Check with the mobile provider for details.

For immediate physical danger or life‑threatening emergencies, people should continue to call 999 or attend A&E.

ChatHealth is delivered by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. For more information, visit www.chathealth.nhs.uk.

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Professional help

friendly staff

Need to talk? Whatever's on your mind, we can help. Even if you just need someone who understands or want advice for a friend.

The teams we work with help lots of people like teenagers in schools, parents of young children and mums with new born babies.

Health professionals

start messaging

Set-up a messaging service and support more people, more easily with the resources you already have.

You'll start conversations earlier, stop problems escalating and make connections where it's hard to reach.

I thought it would be awkward or embarrassing but it's actually not. Thanks for helping. ANONYMOUS USER

Happy with the quick and professional response and that my worries are being addressed and taken seriously. YOUNG PERSON, YEAR 10

I was struggling so much today but having someone at the end of a text that's willing to help is great. FIRST TIME PARENT

hello

I love being part of this service!
It's a valuable addition. STAFF FEEDBACK

hello

It's a great tool to provide a service to our client group in an accessible way. STAFF FEEDBACK

hello

We are excited to have this opportunity to engage with the young people in our area. STAFF FEEDBACK

hello

Parents are enjoying having this as an additional way to access advice. STAFF FEEDBACK

hello

We've had contacts from young people that would not have contacted us before. STAFF FEEDBACK

hello

Young people can 'park' a question, even out-of-hours, knowing it will be responded to appropriately. STAFF FEEDBACK

Confidential

and anonymous

It can be easier to say something difficult in a discrete message. Your conversation will be confidential, if a health professional is very concerned you're in danger, they may involve other services to help keep you safe.

Trusted

safe and secure

We work with teams across the UK so you will get help from health professionals near you. Staff share secure electronic records of conversations so you never have to repeat yourself and all teams follow strict confidentiality rules.

Convenient

helping everyone

Health professionals say setting-up a messaging service is a safe and manageable way for small teams to speak directly with lots of people. Messaging helps provide support at a time that suits everyone.

Need to talk?

how it works

We'll confirm receipt of your message immediately then you'll speak to a health professional who will listen, ask questions and support you. You only have to share what you feel comfortable with and you can ask questions too.

Most teams reply during normal office hours. If you message out-of-hours they'll reply when they're next in. You should always hear back from someone within 24 working hours at most.

If you need help in the meantime contact your doctor, visit a NHS walk-in centre or call NHS 111. If it is an emergency, dial 999 or visit A&E.

Your network provider will charge your usual rate for messages you send.

Start a chat

Health teams

set-up a service

We've been helping clinical teams set-up healthcare messaging services since 2012. As an NHS team we understand how to support you all the way. We will help you take the quickest route to setting-up a safe, secure and successful service so you can stay focused on providing high quality care.

"You have a great enthusiastic team of professional, experienced, supportive people"Zoe Warren, Professional Lead, School Nursing, Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

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Need to talk? Whatever's on your mind, we can help. Even if you just need someone who understands or want advice for a friend. The teams we work with help lots of people like teenagers in schools, parents of young children and mums with new born babies.

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Safe and reliable advice about young people’s mental health, created by experts and parents together.

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Welcome to MindEd for Families, Children and Young People. We hope you like our new design. If you are a regular user you might find that some of the topics have moved, or the titles have been changed slightly.

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Support and advice around parenting, managing family life, friends and relationships and much more.

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Supporting bereaved children and young people.

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Children and young people grieve just as much as adults but they show it in different ways. They learn how to grieve by copying the responses of the adults around them, and rely on adults to provide them with the support they need in their grief.
Further guidance that may be helpful:
How might bereaved children react and what may help?

Children and young people have a limited ability to put feelings and thoughts into words and tend to show feelings with behaviours rather than words. Reactions will vary greatly as children absorb and process information in different ways at different ages.

The following reactions are common, and are likely to settle over time with reassurance, acknowledging what has happened and their feelings, giving them clear and age-appropriate information, and keeping to normal routines.

Picking up on tension and distress

Children pick up on tension, distress or anxiety in adults, and may mirror this in their own behaviour. Even babies sense that something important is missing, and may cry more than usual. Children of all ages may be clingy or unsettled.

Appearing not to react

Children under 6 years old do not understand that death is permanent. Children cannot handle strong emotions for long periods, and may jump quickly in and out of grief ('puddle jumping'). When told that someone important has died, some children may look blank and ask 'can I play' or 'what's for tea?' They may have heard, but they are not able to process what that means yet. They may react later with sudden crying, outbursts, changes in behaviour or asking questions.

Asking questions and exploring what death means

Children may ask repeatedly: "When's Nanny coming back?" or "Where has she gone?" even though they've been told clearly what has happened. They may hunt everywhere for a 'lost' person, and so a clear explanation of what 'died' means may help. Children may play games where the person dies, or is still alive. They may seem fascinated with death, play-act about death or ask repeatedly about it. All of these are ways that children show that they are processing their understanding of what has happened.

Feeling anxious or insecure

When someone dies, a child's sense of safety is rocked. They may not want to leave you, and may cling to you or follow you everywhere. They may behave as if they are younger: being very quiet or tearful, having temper flare-ups, sucking their thumb, being reluctant to do things they used to do with confidence, or wetting the bed.

Try to keep to normal routines which will help them feel safe, and keep them informed about plans for the days ahead. Tell them who will take them to school or activities. If you need to leave them, tell them when you will be home, or who will be looking after them.
Include them in simple decision-making that affects them. If the person who died was ill, address any fears about the illness (for example that it is not catching), and reassure them that you are not ill and not leaving them.

Anger

Anger and other strong emotions are natural reactions to sad or shocking news, and some children and young people may not be able to understand or manage their own feelings. They may feel angry at the person who died, at family, at themselves or at the world in general.

It can help to tell them it is understandable for them to be angry, as long as they don't hurt themselves or anyone else. Safe ways to release anger include hitting cushions, vigorous physical exercise, messy painting sessions, or going outside to shout very loudly.

Another idea is a 'safe zone' where they can go to calm down. This could be a quiet corner with familiar items that help them to feel safe.

Looking after adults or feeling responsible

As children realise that death is permanent, they also become aware that it happens to other people including themselves. They may be protective and try to look after their important adults and siblings. They may feel that they were somehow responsible for the death.

Primary aged children may show 'magical thinking' where they think 'if I do this, Dad will come back'. They may behave very well to compensate for what's happened, or be less well-behaved because they feel angry or guilty.

Denying what has happened or taking risks

Bereavement can be overwhelming, and can bring huge changes, alongside other challenges that young people face as they grow up. They may want to forget or deny the death or how strongly they feel. They may feel 'what's the point?' with school or social activities. Some young people may be impulsive or take risks, in an attempt to get back some control in a life that for them currently feels very out of control.

What helps grieving children and young people

Every child is unique and will cope with the death of someone important in their own way. There is no magic formula but things that help include:

Clear, honest and age-appropriate information

Reassurance that they are not to blame and that different feelings are OK

Normal routines and a clear demonstration that important adults are there for them

Time to talk about what has happened, ask questions and build memories

Being listened to and given time to grieve in their own way

Further information

More about how children and young people grieve, and what helps:

Finding support

For many bereaved children and young people, they may get all the support they need from those already around them that they know and trust. However, some children and young people may need additional support depending on their situation.

Latest

Most read

Tag cloud

Short films delivered by our support practitioners giving guidance on a range of bereavement topics. Read more

A list of books and resources relating to grief and bereavement and what may help. Read more

Watch short films and read experiences of bereaved families and how support has helped them. Read more

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charity bereavement child death grief loss baby stillbirth miscarriage suicide young people

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Supporting bereaved children and young people

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Children and young people grieve just as much as adults but they show it in different ways. Find out how you can help them and more about child grieving.

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If you know somebody who has an eating disorder or who you think might have an eating disorder, we can help you.

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Struggling with an eating disorder? Caring for someone who is? Beat is here to support you.

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Organisations that may be able to help if you, or someone you know, have been affected by bereavement, child bereavement or end of life care.

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BBC - Information and Support: Bereavement and end of life care

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Information and Support for bereavement and end of life care

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Advice for parents & carers: talking mental health with children.

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Advice for parents and carers: talking mental health with children at primary school

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A tip sheet for parents and carers sharing advice on talking about mental health with primary school children.

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Healthy Minds Lincolnshire provide emotional wellbeing support for children and young people up to 19 years old.

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The workshops and groups we deliver are easy to access virtually.

It can be quite scary attending a group or a workshop when you don't know anyone else in the group. If you are worried about coming to a group or workshop there are lots of things we can do to support you.

Here is some feedback from other young people:

It is really good! Everyone is friendly and you learn some really helpful things which you can keep practicing.

I would say that I was worried before I started a group but once you get in to it it's completely fine and you forget about being nervous. From my experience once the session had started I felt more confident in myself

Although the groups and workshops are to support your emotional wellbeing, they are not like attending a lesson in school. They have been proven to have a positive effect on your emotional wellbeing and are there to help you with life's problems before they get too much to handle.

Top three benefits of groups and workshops:

You're not alone and they help you to realise that we all have similar experiences, but cope with them differently

Making new friends and building positive relationships

Groups and workshops include lots of interactive activities, games, quizzes, alongside learning some new skills to manage your emotional wellbeing.

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The workshops and groups we deliver are easy to access virtually. It can be quite scary attending a group or a workshop when you don't know anyone else in the group. If you are worried about coming to a group or workshop there are lots of things we can do to support you.

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A decent night's sleep will help children to learn more effectively and make them less susceptible to minor ailments,

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Advice around helping children manage anxious feelings.

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YoungMinds | Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People

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YoungMinds are a mental health charity for children, young people and their parents, making sure all young people can get the mental health support they need.

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Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, more commonly known as ARFID, is a condition characterised by the person avoiding certain foods or types of food, having restricted intake in terms of overall amount eaten, or both.

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Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, more commonly known as ARFID, is a condition characterised by the person avoiding certain foods

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LCGL Counselling and Training Services is a charity sponsored by the Lincolnshire Co-operative and grant funded by ​Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. We are a free counselling service that responds to the needs of children/young people and adults in Lincolnshire who are experiencing the unmanageable symptoms of grief and loss following a significant life event.

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What is grief and loss?

Grief is the involuntary emotional and psychological response that follows any loss.

Loss situations can be caused by many different life events, such as:

death of a loved one,
divorce and separation,
problematic relationships,
ill health

In fact, almost any significant life change or occurrence.

It may be difficult to talk to family and friends about how you are feeling, but you are aware that you need to share these feelings with someone.

Perhaps the right person could be a counsellor who is trained to respond to someone in your situation?

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a psychologist can help you work through such problems.

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specific goals for therapy will be determined by you and your therapist

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LCGL Counselling and Training Services is a charity sponsored by the Lincolnshire Co-operative and grant funded by Lincolnshire County Council. We are a free counselling service that responds to the needs of children/young people and adults in Lincolnshire who are experiencing the unmanageable symptoms of grief and loss following a significant life event.

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Want to get your family moving more? Looking for snack swap ideas? Want advice on eating healthy on a budget? Try our FREE 12-week health and wellbeing programme that offers exciting and engaging activities that motivate and support families to work towards a healthy weight together.

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Gloji Energy child and family weight management programme | Healthy Lifestyle Service | One You Lincolnshire

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Want to get your family moving more? Looking for snack swap ideas? Want advice on eating healthy on a budget? Try our FREE 12-week health and wellbeing programme that offers exciting and engaging activities that motivate and support families to work towards a healthy weight together.

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Tips to encourage healthy eating habits.

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Children need regular meals and snacks to give them the energy and nutrients to grow and stay healthy. Children's nutritional needs change as they get older, so it is important to be aware of these changes. This Food Fact Sheet will help you ensure your child is eating the right food, whatever age they are.
How can I encourage my child to eat more healthily?

It's not just about what your child eats, but also the environment around them when they are eating. When children eat with other members of the family and have the same meals, this encourages children to enjoy a variety of foods. If you can, try to sit down and eat meals as a family, without the distractions of the television or computer games.

Snacking can also affect a child's eating habits and can mean that they don't have a balanced diet. Try to keep snacking to twice per day and opt for fruit and vegetables, in place of snacks high in fat, salt and sugar.

Food and eating should be enjoyable and fun! Children love to get involved. Take them to the shops to help choose different foods. Let them help with cooking, by putting foods in the pan or help with chopping up soft foods with close supervision. Make sure you also talk about healthy eating at home, as this will create a positive relationship for your child in relation to food.

What types of food should children eat?

Children under five years are growing rapidly and have high requirements for energy (kcals). This energy needs to come from nutritious foods. Children over the age of five should follow a healthy diet suitable for all the family.

The nutrients children need are found in these four groups. These foods should all be offered every day:

1. Starchy carbohydrates

Each meal should be based on foods from this group and these foods provide energy. These foods include; bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, breakfast cereals and grains such as couscous and quinoa. For children who are over five-years-old, wholegrain varieties are a better option. These are healthier and more filling.

2. Fruit and vegetables

Aim for five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. Fruit and vegetables provide lots of vitamins which can help to prevent coughs and colds. They also contain fibre for good bowel health. Fruit & vegetables can be fresh, frozen, tinned (in their own juice) or dried. Fresh fruit juice also counts towards one portion per day but should be given alongside mealtimes. Try and include both fruit and vegetables at main meals, fruit can be used as a snack or to make smoothies.

3. Calcium-containing foods

This group provides children with protein and calcium. This is important for growth and healthy bone and teeth development. Products such as milk, cheese, yoghurt and fromage frais are good options. Your child should ideally aim for three servings of calcium-rich food every day - for example, a 150ml glass of milk, a small pot of yoghurt and a small matchbox-sized piece of cheese. Non-dairy alternatives to cow's milk can be given from six months in food and from 12 months as a main drink.

If you do choose plant-based alternatives, our vegetarian, vegan and plant-based fact sheet explains some of the key nutrients you need to be aware of. You should make sure that these milks contain 120mg of calcium per 100mls and also have around 55-60kcals per 100mls.

If you need more advice, talk to a health professional. Children under two years should have full fat milk and dairy foods. Semi-skimmed milk can be introduced from two years if they are growing well.

4. Protein and iron

Meat, fish, eggs, nuts, pulses (like beans, lentils and peas), and foods made from pulses (like tofu, hummus and soya mince) are excellent sources of protein and iron. Protein is needed for growth and iron is needed to prevent anaemia; a common condition seen in children. A variety of protein rich foods should be given at least twice per day.

Should I give my children food and drink high in fat and/or sugar?

Foods which are high in sugar and fat will provide extra energy but few nutrients.

This group of foods includes biscuits, cake, ice cream, sweets, chocolate, condiments such as ketchup, savoury snacks such as crisps, chips and sugary drinks.

High sugar intakes often lead to tooth decay and can lead to obesity in children. It is important to avoid giving your child frequent sugary drinks, snacks or sweets to protect their teeth and overall health. If you want to give them something sugary, it is best to limit these to twice per week or at mealtimes.

Healthy cooking methods

Changing your cooking methods can help to reduce the amount of fat in your child's food. If you fry foods, why not try grilling, steaming or baking foods instead? This will reduce the fat content. You could also reduce the fat by adding less butter to mashed potato or on bread and using less oil in cooking. Using a spray bottle can help to reduce oil use.

Meal structure

Children should be offered three meals per day with two small snacks in between. Breakfast is a really important meal, it is a great way to help children meet their daily vitamin and mineral requirements. Breakfast options such as cereals tend to have extra vitamins and minerals added.

Children who have breakfast have been shown to concentrate better throughout the morning in school.

At lunch and evening meal time, offer children a variety of different foods and each day. You should offer different foods each mealtime. By eating a variety of foods, children can get a range of different nutrients.

Drinks

Keeping hydrated is important too. Some families find putting a jug of water on the table at mealtimes encourages the whole family to have a glass.

The best drinks for children are water and milk as they will not damage teeth. Fizzy drinks and sugary squash/cordial can provide excess energy and lead to unnecessary weight gain.

Pure fruit juice and smoothies provide quite a lot of sugar and should only be offered once per day. Dilute any sweet drinks with water - one part squash to ten parts water. If fresh juice, give half pure juice/half water for children under five.

Drinks should be offered to children at each mealtime and one or two drinks should be given in between. It is a good idea to offer extra drinks when the weather is hot and during sports.

Tea is not recommended for children as it reduces iron absorption. Try to offer warm milk instead.

Salty foods

Children do not need salt added to their food - try using herbs and spices instead. It is a good idea to limit salty snacks like crisps and reduce the amount of processed salty foods such as ready meals and processed meats.

Does my child need a daily vitamin?

All children aged six months to four years should be given a supplement containing vitamins A, C and D, such as Healthy Start vitamin drops.

All children over the age of one should have a vitamin containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D, especially during autumn and winter. For more information on vitamin D, see the BDA Food Fact Sheet on this topic.

Top tips

Be aware of your child's changing nutritional needs as they get older

Creating a good eating environment will encourage children to try more foods

Try to limit snacking and opt for fruit and veg

Meals should be based on starchy carbohydrates such as potatoes, pasta, rice and wholegrain cereals

Choose healthy cooking methods like grilling or baking to limit fats

Avoid salty snacks and try to reduce ready meals and processed meats that may contain more salt

Remember to ensure your child is well hydrated

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Children need regular meals and snacks to give them the energy and nutrients to grow and stay healthy. Children's nutritional needs change as they get older, so it is important to be aware of these changes. This Food Fact Sheet will help you ensure your child is eating the right food, whatever age they are.

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Eating a varied diet is good for your health, but many people don't achieve this. Some autistic people have a restricted diet, eating only a limited range of food. Others may over-eat. This guide explores common issues, including pica, and ways you can help.

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Our guidance aims to help you address common eating difficulties for autistic people.

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Sleep hygiene advice.

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If your child is routinely waking in the night, it is important that they learn to self-settle rather than seeking a parent or joining a parent's bed. This can be difficult to enforce, and may be emotionally challenging, for both child and parent, but parents should remain firm and assertive.

If your child leaves their bed and seeks you out at night-time, try not to engage them in conversation, but lead them quietly and immediately back to bed. This may need to be repeated several times each night, but it is important that your child learns that they will receive the same response from you each time.

If your child is anxious, the use of a night light, cuddly toy or baby monitor may help them to feel safe and learn how to self-settle.

Praising your child in the morning for staying in bed at night can help reinforce good behaviour; this can be aided by the use of a reward chart or stickers, with a small token prize when a certain number of stickers/rewards have been won.

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Sleep hygiene in children and young people

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This information sheet from Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) explains about sleep hygiene. The lead-up and routine around your child's bedtime is referred to as 'sleep hygiene'. Having good sleep hygiene can help your child both to settle to sleep and

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Anxiety: A guide for young people.

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In this blog we’ll look at some of the reasons why people feel anxious sometimes, as well as some tips and advice to combat it.

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Self-help advice for children and young people.

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Anxiety, stress and worry :: Lincolnshire Young Minds

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We all feel worried, stressed or anxious sometimes, and that’s ok. It can be your body’s way of telling you something isn’t right or safe, or can even help us stay focused and achieve more. These feelings exist on a continnum and sometimes it’s difficult to know some of the differences between anxiety, stress and worry, so hopefully this page will help.

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Free, anonymous, confidential online counselling, advice and support service for young people aged 11-19 years living in Lincolnshire.

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Kooth is your online mental wellbeing community. Access free, safe and anonymous

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Shine is a Lincolnshire mental health Support network.

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Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) are an expanding service designed to help meet the mental health needs of children and young people. Either schools or families can refer into our local MHST.

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Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) are an expanding service designed to help meet the mental health needs of children and young people in selected education settings i.e. Schools and Colleges or who are not on roll with an education setting. MHSTs are in addition to existing services such as Kooth Online Counselling Service, Healthy Minds Lincolnshire and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Teams are made up of professionals called Clinical Lead Practitioners and Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs). These are workers who have had specialised training to support young people presenting with a wide range of mental health issues. They work closely with schools and colleges and other children and young people's services.

There are currently four MHSTs working in Lincolnshire and these are based in selected education settings in Lincoln, Gainsborough (and the surrounding area), Boston and Skegness (and the surrounding area).

Thanks to Wave 7 funding, there will be a fully operational MHST in Spalding and the surrounding area from September 2023. The Wave 8 expansion will see teams starting to support children and young people in Grantham and Sleaford (and the surrounding area) from January 2024.

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Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) are an expanding service designed to help meet the mental health needs of children and young people in selected education settings i.e. Schools and Colleges or who are not on roll with an education setting.

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At the William Alvey, we are committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our pupils and staff so that all can realise their own potential and cope with life’s many challenges.

We take a whole school approach to promoting positive mental health so that our children can be resilient, happy and successful. We nurture a mentally healthy environment through promoting our core values of resilience, tolerance, aspiration and respect. Our growth Mindset approach teaches children how to be resilient and understand that mistakes are part of learning. Children learn about mental wellbeing and are supported to understand their emotions and feelings better through PSHE lessons, assemblies and throughout the school day in other curriculum areas.

In addition, more targeted support is offered by staff in school, including our Pastoral Team (Mrs Laura Taylor & Mrs Tina Quinlan). Children may receive 1:1 or group sessions attending interventions like Feelings Detectives and Zones of Regulation. External agencies such as the newly formed Mental Health Support Team also offer support to our pupils when this is appropriate.

If you have any concerns about your child's mental health and wellbeing, please share them with us, either in discussion with their class teacher or by contacting our Mental Health Leads - Mrs Laura Taylor and Mrs Emma Weston.