Emotional wellbeing is about how children and young people feel about themselves, cope with everyday life and manage their emotions, relationships and challenges.
All children and young people experience worries, stress or low mood at times. For some, these feelings can last longer, feel more intense or begin to affect learning, friendships or family life. Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) may experience emotional wellbeing challenges more often or in different ways.
Needing emotional wellbeing or mental health support does not mean something is “wrong”. Support is about understanding what a child or young person needs and helping them feel safe, supported and able to thrive.
Emotional wellbeing and mental health difficulties can present in many different ways. A child or young person may experience:
These difficulties may look different at home, in school or in the community, and may change over time.
Bromley Y strives to offer individualised emotional wellbeing services to all young people and their parents and carers, including those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). The support is tailored to suit the needs of individuals and alternative therapies are offered where these are more appropriate, and available.
From the point of referral, assessment and through to treatment, Bromley Y considers the needs of children and young people with SEND. The support offered includes:
“Bromley Y is an emotional wellbeing service providing an early intervention service offering low to moderate level emotional support to children and young people. We always aim to support parents and carers to access the most suitable pathway and support for their child based on information provided. Therefore, we may also signpost families and support referrals to other local services, such as Bromley Mencap, CASPA, Bromley Information Advice and Support Service (IASS) and The Inclusion Support Advisory Team (iSAT), where needs are beyond early intervention for low to moderate emotional support concerns.” – Bromley Y.
For more information about Bromley Y, please visit the Bromley Y website.
You may wish to seek help or advice if emotional or mental health difficulties are:
Support works best when it starts early. You do not need to manage concerns on your own.
Bromley Y works in collaboration with Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust to provide the integrated single point of access (iSPA) for all children and young people with mental health and emotional wellbeing challenges.
The iSPA will decide whether individual children and young people should be referred to specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) or Bromley Y. The iSPA, Bromley Y and CAMHS will work together and always consider the young person’s needs at the point of referral in order to decide which service can support them best.
Referrals for mental health or emotional wellbeing support can be made directly into the iSPA by any young person, parent, carer or professional agency involved in working with the child or young person. This includes GPs, social care, education, acute and community paediatricians and voluntary sector organisations. It is important that consent is sought from the parent or carer in all cases before making a referral.
Tel: 0203 770 8848 or complete their referral form.
The CAMHS service in Bromley is provided by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and work with children and young people up to the age of 18.
Bromley CAMHS provide specialist mental health consultation, assessment and treatment to children and young people aged 0-18 who have severe and enduring emotional, behavioural and mental health difficulties, and their families/carers.
CAMHS are based at two locations:
Stepping Stones House and the Phoenix Centre.
CAMHS Ready – An online tool to help young people and their families that makes sure that they get the most out of their first visit to a CAMHS service.
Referrals are through Bromley Y.
In an emergency you should call 999 or go to the accident and emergency (A&E) department of your local hospital where you can request an urgent mental health assessment. Find A&E services
If you are worried about keeping your child or young person safe, for example if your child is expressing that they cannot stop thinking about suicide and has imminent plans to hurt themselves, seek professional help straight away. Don’t leave your child alone: make sure that there is someone with your child, whether it is you or a close friend or family member and call 999 for professional help.
Bromley Y can also support you to get urgent help an emergency or crisis
Mental Health Crisis Line: 0800 330 8590 (24 hour service)
The crisis line is a 24hr telephone service for residents of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich who may be experiencing a mental health crisis. The crisis line provides an opportunity to talk to a mental health professional about your mental health crisis and provides advice and information for carers, family and friends who may know someone experiencing a mental health crisis.
The Samaritans continue to offer 24 hour, 7 day a week free advice and reassurance for anyone experiencing a crisis.
SANEline also offers out of hours emotional support and information for anyone affected by mental illness. Call on 0300 304 7000.
SLAM – The South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK including services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol, and support to people with eating disorders. For urgent help call 0800 731 2864 to speak to someone on the mental health crisis line. See also SLAM’s website for getting help in a crisis.
The Dynamic Support Register (DSR) and Care Education and Treatment Reviews (CETRs) work together as a mechanism to help keep children and young people who are autistic and/or who have learning disabilities out of specialist in-patient mental health units in hospitals and instead seek to agree and provide support within the community and home environment.
The DSR and CETR are ways to ensure this is what happens. CETRs are part of a national program led by NHS England called Transforming Care. The aim of Transforming Care is to reduce the number of people with a learning disability or autism becoming longer-term inpatients in a hospital unnecessarily.
The Children and Young People’s Dynamic Support Register (DSR) is for those under 18 who are at high risk of going into a mental health hospital if they do not get the right care and treatment in the community.
The information held on the Dynamic Support Register will be shared with a small group of lead professionals from relevant Social Care, Education, and Health Services. Together these professionals review the children and young people on the register to think about when more support might be needed.
A referral can be made by parents/guardians, children and young people themselves (self-referral) and health professionals.
For more information including the eligibility criteria, and referral process, visit the South East London Integrated Care System (SELONDONICS) website.
A Care Education and Treatment Review (CETR) is a meeting about a child or young person who has a learning disability and/or autism and displays behaviours that may mean that they are a risk to themselves. This, in turn, could result in them being either at risk of being admitted to, or mean they are currently already in an in-patient (psychiatric) service.
Any inpatient admission should be based on very clear reasons why certain needs can only be met in hospital. Inpatient services should not be used due to a lack of local services and support. The aim of a CETR is to avoid admission wherever possible or to plan a discharge from an admission.
For more information about CETRs, visit the NHS England Care, Education and Treatment Reviews (CETRs) website.
Caring for a child or young person with emotional wellbeing needs can be challenging. It’s important that parents and carers are supported too.
Support in Bromley includes:
If you are aged 18–64 and need your own mental health support, adult services are available through GP referral.
Different families find different types of support helpful at different times. Some services offer information or self‑help tools, others provide someone to talk to, and some offer more structured or specialist support.
You do not need to access everything listed here. These are options to help you find support that feels right for your child, yourself, or your family.
Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
Provides accessible online information, practical tips and activities to help children, young people, parents and carers understand and manage worries, anxiety and emotional wellbeing.
Barnardo’s See Hear Respond – Support Hub
Offers online advice, information, counselling and telephone support for children and young people who are experiencing emotional distress or difficulties at home or school.
Bromley Y (including Signpost text service)
Alongside one‑to‑one support, Bromley Y offers:
A confidential service for children and young people who want to talk about concerns such as anxiety, bullying, family relationships or self‑harm.
A free online counselling and emotional wellbeing platform for children and young people up to the age of 25, including those with SEND, care‑experienced young people and young carers. Support is available via phone, tablet or desktop.
Provides clear, age‑appropriate information about mental health and emotional wellbeing for children and young people, as well as advice on how to ask for help.
Offers practical advice and guidance for children and families experiencing bullying, including online and cyberbullying.
Caring for a child or young person with emotional wellbeing needs can feel overwhelming at times. Support for parents and carers is an important part of helping children thrive.
Provides information and advice about local mental health services, therapies and support options, and helps adults understand how to access them.
Offers confidential and impartial advice to parents, carers and young people aged 0–25 about SEND services, rights and support pathways.
A national one‑to‑one mentoring service offering emotional support for parents of disabled children (up to age 18), especially around diagnosis or during the first year after diagnosis.
A charity supporting parents and carers of children with disabilities through one‑to‑one coaching, wellbeing workshops and supportive group spaces. They aim to help families build resilience, improve emotional wellbeing and feel empowered in their caring journey.
Free, confidential advice for parents and carers worried about a child or young person’s mental health.
Provides practical advice, reassurance and simple strategies for families supporting a child or young person with mental health needs.
A local resource developed for parents and professionals bringing together information and support options
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Support for parents and young people under 25, offering help with mental health, family relationships, housing, education and life challenges.
Offers free and confidential NHS talking therapies for adults aged 18+ who are registered with a Bromley GP. Self‑referral is available online or by phone.
A free, anonymous online counselling and emotional wellbeing service for adults aged 26 and over, commissioned by the NHS in South East London.
Provides practical self‑help advice, tools and resources to support mental wellbeing, manage stress, low mood and difficult emotions.
NHS mental health services
Information about NHS mental health support and how to access services through your GP or local services.
