Mental Health Support Services

Through our involvement with the Croydon Mental Health Trail Blazer scheme, we are fortunate to have a Children's Wellbeing Practioner who works with us one day a week and is able to provide sessions and support to students and their families. We also facilitate counselling in school through our partnership with Reflect On and specialised bereavement counselling with The Listening Ear.

Students in school should speak to Mrs Curd, Mrs Meayers or Mrs Watson about these services. Parents can email stop@meridianhigh.london

We have included further signposted to services, organisations and apps that can offer further information and support. The document section at the end of this page includes a range of leaflets and information which may be of use.

For Students

Off the Record, are a local service, offering a range of services for young people aged between 11-25.

Kooth.com - you can speak to a trained counsellor from 12pm to 1pm Monday to Friday and 6pm to 10pm at weekends and bank holidays 365 days a year.

YoungMinds Crisis Messenger - if you are experiencing a mental health crisis text YM to 85258

CAHMS Crisis line: 0203 228 5980 Monday to Friday 5pm to 10pm; 9am to 9pm Saturday to Sunday and Bank Holidays

SLaM Crisis Support Line 0800 731 2864 24/7

Websites and apps that you can download or use on your smart phone or tablet that you might find helpful are:

Calm is the #1 app for sleep and meditation. Join the millions experiencing better sleep, lower stress, and less anxiety.

Headspace - Mindfulness and relaxation - Headspace Unwind Your Mind lets you choose your own mindfulness adventure based on your mood — from stress-relieving meditations to relaxing wind-downs and bedtime stories, it’s customizable to you.

Mindshift - MindShift is a free app designed to help teens and young adults cope with anxiety. It is can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play. It can help you change how you think about anxiety. Rather than trying to avoid anxiety, you can make an important shift and face it. Lists symptoms of anxiety. Offers strategies to manage worry, panic, conflict, ordinary anxiety, and three specialised categories of anxiety: test anxiety, social anxiety, and perfectionism. Also contains relaxation exercises.

Calmharm app Calm Harm is an award-winning app developed for teenage mental health charity stem4 by Dr Nihara Krause, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, using the basic principles of an evidence-based therapy called Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT). Calm Harm provides tasks to help you resist or manage the urge to self-harm. You can make it private by setting a password, and personalise the app if you so wish. You will be able to track your progress and notice change.

www.youngminds.org - information and advice

www.samaritians.org Tel 116 123 (free)

For parents

Call Young Minds’ free Parents Helpline on 0808 802 5544 for confidential, expert advice, if you have urgent concerns about your child’s mental health and wellbeing.

CAHMS Crisis line: 0203 228 5980 Monday to Friday 5pm to 10pm; 9am to 9pm Saturday to Sunday and Bank Holidays

SLaM Crisis Support Line: 0800 731 2864 24/7

• Action for Children - helps parents to spot the signs of poor mental health in their child and explains what to do to help
• MindEd – safe and reliable advice about young people’s, mental health, created by experts and parents together
• NSPCC - a range of advice on how to support your child if you are concerned that they may be struggling with their mental health.
• Public Health England advice - helps adults with caring responsibilities look after the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, including those with additional needs and disabilities
• Young Minds - tips, advice and where to get support for your child’s mental health -
• Every Mind Matters – simple and practical advice to support your mental health and wellbeing, including advice on looking after children and young people.
• NHS England has published advice for parents, guardians and carers on how to help and support a child or young person

Children, young people and their families can get free help, advice and urgent mental health support from 24/7 crisis telephone lines available in every London borough.

Every NHS mental health trust in London has put these in place, so children, young people and their families can get help quickly when they need it. The crisis lines are supported by trained mental health practitioners, who can offer advice and signpost other sources of support as needed. You can find these helpfully collated in the first of the linked documents below.