Local Renfrewshire resources

REN10 is a free service in Renfrewshire dedicated to the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people up to the age of 24. It also provides support for parents and/or carers. Click here to access support.  A range of other local resources are listed below:

• Lifelink – lifelink.org.uk/youth/one-to-one/ – counselling for young people on issues such as well-being, feelings, stress, relationships, health, emotions, coping skills, anger and conflict, peer support and exam stress. Speak to pastoral care staff or a teacher at your school who can refer you into the service.
• Shout – 24/7 text based support service for any age. Aims to respond within 5 minutes to those in distress. Text RENTEN to 85258
• Togetherall (age 16-25)  – safe, anonymous online community to support mental health. Free for all aged 16-25 in Renfrewshire. Register online here.
• Crisis counselling – crisiscounselling.co.uk – counselling service in Erskine. Specialist counsellors trained to work with children and young people affected by many issues. You can self-refer on 0141 812 8474 or email info@crisiscounselling.co.uk
• School nurse –support young people affected by mental health issues e.g. related to bereavement, parental separation. Referral can be done by School or by the GP.
• Women and children first – renfrewshire.gov.uk/Womenadandchildrenfirst – provide support to women and children who have experienced rape, sexual assault, physical abuse, harassment and/or child sexual abuse regardless of where or when this happened. You can self refer on 0300 300 0345
• Cedar Network – cedarnetwork.org.uk – part of Scottish Women’s Aid. Programme for children and young people who have been victims of or witnessed domestic abuse. Programmes also available for the mothers of these children/young people. Run by Renfrewshire Reconnection – 0300 300 0345 (can self refer).

Online resources

• youngminds.org.uk – UK’s leading charity for looking after the emotional health of young people. Excellent website with helpful resources and advice for both the young person and their parent/carer. There is a separate Parent helpline 0808 802 5544 (9.30-4pm M-F)
• themix.org.uk – UK based charity. Free, confidential support for anyone under 25y. Offer support on wide range of issues such as self harm, sex and relationships, mental health, bullying, drugs, finding a job, money, housing problems, work and study, crime and safety , travel and lifestyle. Can chat online or phone 0808 808 4994 or chat by email. Available 24/7 365 days/year.
• childline.org.uk – UK based charity, anyone under 18 can confidentially call, email or chat online 1 to 1 with on online advisor about any problem. Freephone 24h helpline 0800 1111 or sign up for a childline account online to be able to message a counsellor any time without using your own email address.
• Prevention of young suicide – Papyrus. –national confidential helpline for young people <35 at risk of suicide or someone worried about a young person. 08000684141 or 07786209697 10am-10pm M-F 2pm – 10pm weekends or email pat@papyrus-uk.org
• healthtalk.org – useful information and video clips of other people’s experiences including mental health problems
• stem4.org.uk – Supporting teenage mental health. This is a useful website with advice for young people, their friends and family/carers about teenage mental health including issues such as eating disorders, self-harm, depression and anxiety, addiction.
• Children and young people mental health helplines

Help with specific issues

• Relaxation exercises for children with anxiety – Scottish website with helpful relaxation exercises/techniques for children with anxiety

Help with bullying

• bullying.co.uk – UK Charity Bullying UK – lots of information including about Cyberbullying.
• respectme.org.uk – Scotland’s anti-bullying service – information for young people, parents and information on anti-bullying policies
• antibullying.net –The Anti-Bullying Network – website supporting anti-bullying work in schools and providing information about how to tackle bullying. Sections for young people and for their parents/families.

Help to lose weight

• Weigh to go – service in Renfrewshire for 12-18 year olds who want to lose weight. Run by Youth Health Service in Renfrewshire yhs-ng.co.uk or phone 0141 451 2727

Drugs and alcohol

• RADAR is a dedicated service in Renfrewshire for young people aged between 12 and 21 to provide support with alcohol or drug issues. Call 0141 618 2585 to get an appointment.
• talktofrank.com – Website with lots of information about drugs. Provides confidential support about drugs via live online chat (2-6pm Monday-Friday), by email frank@talktofrank.com , by text on 82111 or by freephone 03001236600 24/7 365 days/year.

Eating disorders

• beateatingdisorders.org.uk (beat – beating eating disorders) – confidential web chat online or Freephone Youthline 08088010711 or email fyp@beateatingdisorders.org.uk

Sexual health and wellbeing

• sexwise.fpa.org.uk – website of the family planning association with loads of useful information about contraception, STIs, unplanned pregnancy, and sexual wellbeing.

Other useful online resources

• docready.org – helpful advice for young people about preparing to talk to a GP about mental health
• rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/parents-and-young-people – The Royal College of Psychiatrists has put together lots of useful information for young people, parents, teachers and carers on a wide range of mental health issues. Links to leaflets to print out.
• NICE guidelines for social anxiety in young people – these are the national guidelines on how to help young people experiencing social anxiety

Phone apps

• Stay alive – pocket suicide prevention app including safety plan, lifebox to store photos and memories that are important to you, tips for staying safe, breathing exercises
• Calm Harm – award winning app to help you cope with the urge to self harm
• Smiling mind – guided meditation
• SAM – self-help for anxiety management
• Headspace – meditation and mindfulness
• Calm – meditation and help with sleep.
• Stop Breathe Think – sleep better, breathe more easily and find more calm
• Bhuddify – meditation and mindfulness

Books

For children/young people:

• Feeding the anxiety gremlin (Kate Collins-Donnelly) – there are 2 books, one aimed at children aged 5-9y and one at children aged 10y and over.
• Stopping the pain: a workbook for teens who cut and self injure (Lawrence E Shapiro)
• What to do when you worry too much – a kid’s guide to overcoming anxiety (Dawn Huebner and Bonnie Matthews) – self-help book aimed at 6-12 year olds and their parents.
• The huge bag of worries (Virginia Ironside) – aimed at anxious children aged 3-8 years
• Am I depressed and what can I do about it? (Shirley Reynolds) * – age appropriate self-help guide aimed at young people aged 13-17 who are experiencing low mood and depression

For parents/carers:

• Helping your anxious child: a step by step guide for parents – 2009 edition (Ronald Rapee) – strategies and techniques to help parents help children with separation anxiety, general anxiety, social anxiety, specific phobia, panic disorder.
• A volcano in my tummy: Helping children to handle anger (Eliane Whitehouse) – A resource book for parents, caregivers and teachers
• How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk (Adele Faber)– effective step by step techniques for parents to help improve their relationships with their children
• How to talk so teens will listen and listen so teens will talk (Adele Faber) – practical advice for parents and teens
• When your kids push your buttons and what you can do about it (Bonnie Harris) – advice on how to end the cycle of action and reaction between you and your child.
• Parenting a child who has intense emotions: Dialectical Behaviour Therapy skills to help your child regular emotional outbursts and aggressive behaviours (Pat Harvey) – guide to de-escalating your child’s emotions and helping your child express feelings in productive ways
• Overcoming your child’s fears and worries: A self-help guide using Cognitive behavioural techniques (Cathy Cresswell) – teaches parents how to use cognitive behavioural techniques with their children.
• Teenage depression – a CBT guide for parents (Shirley Reynolds) – companion book to * above. Looks at the issues from a parent’s point of view with advice about what to look out for and strategies to help.