Support for Parents and Carers
Practical guidance and CAMHS-focused resources to support families, parents, and carers helping children and young people through mental health challenges.
Understanding CAMHS
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
CAMHS is the NHS service that assesses and treats children and young people (usually up to 18) experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties. Referral pathways can feel complex, but they typically involve:
1. Referral & Triage
Referrals are typically submitted by GPs, school staff, or social workers. The CAMHS triage team reviews clinical severity to assign appropriate pathways.
2. Multidisciplinary Care
Care plans may involve clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, systemic family therapists, psychiatric nurses, and multi-agency support networks.
Supporting a Child in Crisis
Emergency Parent Safety Protocol
If a child or young person is experiencing an acute mental health crisis, active safety management is the primary priority:
- Maintain Safety and Supervision: Ensure the young person is in a safe space. Remove access to medication, sharp objects, or other means of harm. Keep them under direct supervision.
- Offer Calm Reassurance: Speak in a soft, steady, and grounding voice. Validate their intense distress without lecturing or arguing about behaviors.
- Communicate Openly & Non-judgementally: Encourage them to share what they are experiencing. Ask open questions like, "How can I best support you right now?" and listen without reacting in anger.
- Seek Urgent Professional Help: If you are concerned that safety cannot be maintained at home, do not wait. Contact NHS 111, phone a local NHS Urgent Mental Health Helpline, or attend A&E. Refer to our Crisis Advice page.
Eating Disorder Early Signs
Eating disorders can develop rapidly in youth. Early clinical identification significantly improves recovery outcomes. Watch for these indicators:
- Food avoidance: Skipping meals, hiding food, or finding excuses not to eat.
- Rigid rules: Developing obsessions with calories, ingredients, food groups, or eating rituals.
- Weight fluctuations: Sudden, noticeable weight loss or changes, often masked by baggy clothing.
- Secrecy: Spending long periods in the bathroom immediately after meals, or eating in private.
- Body image distress: Obsessive mirror checking, frequent weighing, or extreme anxiety about appearance.
Talking About Mental Health
Conversations with children about mental health require sensitivity and deliberate validation:
Instead of saying:
"You have no reason to feel sad; your life is fine."
Try validating like this:
"I can hear how hard things are for you right now, and I’m here to listen and help you through this."
School Support & EHCP Guidance
Navigating UK Educational adjustments
Mental health difficulties can severely impact a child’s education. Schools have a statutory duty to support pupils with medical and psychological conditions:
Reasonable Adjustments
Work with the school’s Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) to arrange reasonable adjustments. These can include quiet room access during distress, modified timetables, exam concessions, or designated support staff check-ins.
Education, Health & Care Plans (EHCP)
For severe, long-term difficulties that require specialized educational provision beyond standard school resources, you can request an EHCP assessment from your Local Authority. An EHCP is a legally binding document outlining the child’s needs and the statutory support that must be provided.