Children and young people's mental health services (CYPMHS)
About the service
It's a service for children and young people under 18 and their families and it's part of the NHS
You may also see the term children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) used. This is an older term for the main specialist NHS community service within the wider CYPMHS. CYPMHS is a specialist mental health service for children and young people. Our staff are highly trained in a range of different assessment techniques and evidence based therapies. Staff work closely in teams so that we can offer services tailored to the needs of the children, young people and families we see.
Referrals
If you are 13 to 17 years or the parent or carer of children aged 5 to 17 years, you can talk directly to the Single Point of Access (Mindmate SPA) team. Call 0300 555 0324 during office hours or make an online self-referral. Decisions about which is the most appropriate service for a particular child or young person will be made by the SPA once the referral is received.
The Children and Young People’s Therapy team provide interventions for children and young people who have been identified as needing additional support to manage moderate to severe mental health difficulties. We support young people with difficulties such as:
low mood or depression
anxiety
trauma
obsessive compulsive disorder
complex emotional difficulties
We are able to provide a variety of therapeutic interventions for young people:
Cognitive behaviour therapy
Interpersonal therapy
Psychotherapy
Family therapy and systemic interventions
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing
We offer these interventions through a variety of methods, including individual and group work, and virtually or face to face. In addition, we are able to consider offering medication if this is identified as being appropriate if talking therapies are not successful.
Medication will also be considered following a diagnosis of ADHD after assessment by the Neurodevelopmental team.
The Enhanced Support team undertake extended assessments with children, young people and their families who are already open to CYPMHS to understand what support is needed. The team also works with children and young people who need an enhanced level of support during times of crisis. This work can include supporting the child, young person, and their family to manage risk and individual work on goal setting and dealing with difficult emotions. Our multi-disciplinary team will help to coordinate the work of other agencies, including school and social care, and work closely with the therapy team to develop the best support plan for each child or young person.
How to get in touch with the Enhanced Support team
The Neurodevelopmental Assessment team undertake autism and ADHD assessments for those children and young people who meet the criteria for CAMHS. This is a specialist multi-disciplinary team who, using a clinic model which is in line with NICE guidelines, consider whether a diagnosis of ADHD or autism is appropriate for each young person that they see.
Further information about our service, how to make referrals and where to find support whilst waiting for assessments can be found on the MindMate: Neurodiversity information hub
How to contact the Neurodevelopmental Assessment team
The Crisis team operate 8am till 8pm 7 days a week doing emergency assessments in A&E, offering urgent appointments, follow ups and signposting. They work closely with all other CYPMHS teams and they can refer young people into these teams. You cannot self-refer into the crisis team but you may be referred to them via MindMate SPA, the Call Line or via the Accident & Emergency department. Overnight emergency assessments are seen by LYPFT.
Community Outreach team
Our outreach team can provide additional support for children, young people and families who are open to the service and need short term highly intensive support. This team is accessed through other CYPMHS teams.
Eating Disorder team
Our service specialises in providing care to children and young people experiencing eating disorders. Specifically, we support individuals with diagnoses of:
Anorexia Nervosa
Bulimia Nervosa
Binge-eating disorder
We understand that eating disorders don’t exist in isolation; they impact the entire family. Therefore, we work not only with young people but also with their families, ensuring that our approach is holistic, inclusive, and collaborative.
We provide a comprehensive range of services through six core pathways and eleven adjunct treatment options.
Transition team
All young people aged 17 and half are offered the option to opt in to transitions team. This may be a signposting pack, a single appointment to help understand the options in adult services or, where further support is needed, up to 6 consultation sessions (either direct with the young person or with other clinicians involved). Transition support is accessed through other CYPMHS teams.
