Getting support over the summer
We know the holidays can be a difficult time for many families, with reduced support, changes to routines, and stretched budgets.
If you or your child are struggling over the summer, here’s where to go for help:
I need help right now with a mental health emergency
For my child
If you require immediate support for your child you can:
- contact your child’s GP or 111
- call CAMHS on 0300 3040061 (Brighton & Hove) or the Single Point of Access 01323 464222 (East Sussex)
- out of hours call the Sussex Mental Healthline on 0300 500 0101 (open 24 hours)
- in a life threatening situation call 999 or go to A&E
For myself
If you need immediate support for yourself you can:
- contact your GP or 111
- out of hours call the Sussex Mental Healthline on 0300 500 0101 (open 24 hours)
- contact the Samaritans on 116 123 (open 24 hours)
- in a life threatening situation call 999 or go to A&E
I’m worried about my child’s emotional and mental health
Local helplines and support
Please note: these are all advice and support services, not crisis lines. If you require immediate support see above.
CLASS+ Helpline [East Sussex]
The CLASS+ (Communication, Learning and Autism Support Service) team advice line is open to offer advice and support for parents and carers throughout the holidays. The CLASS+ advice line is open Mondays from 10am to 1pm. Give them a call on 01273 336887. Throughout the week, you can still ring in to the same number and leave your details with a member of the Education East Sussex admin team and the CLASS+ team will get back in touch as soon as possible.
Family Hub Advice Line [East Sussex]
The Family Hub advice line is specifically for parents who are struggling with juggling family life. They can offer advice on taking care of your own wellbeing, supporting children with SEND, supporting your child’s behaviour and dealing with financial, housing or work issues. They also offer activities for children of all ages. The advice line is open all summer from 9am to 5pm weekdays, except Friday, 9am to 4pm. Call 01323 46 46 55 or contact the family advice service here.
Therapy One Point [East Sussex]
CITES Therapy One Point (TOP) is the single point of access for advice and support on anything to do with speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy (including adaptations) and
Schools Mental Health Service [Brighton & Hove]
Though the Schools Mental Health consultation line will not be open over the summer, referrals and parent consultations will continue. Schools Mental Health will also be running a number of wellbeing activities , including some walk and talk sessions. Amaze will share details as we have them or email [email protected] for details.
School Health One Point [East Sussex]
School Health One Point (SHOP) offers advice and support to parent carers and secondary aged young people all year round. School Health can support all school aged children (in state school) including those who are home educated. Call School Health One Point (SHOP) on 0300 123 4062 or visit the School Health website to make a referral. Young people aged between 11 and 19 can also text their school nurse confidentially on 07507 332473.
Shout text messaging service [Sussex]
Anyone who is feeling low or struggling to cope can text SUSSEX to 85258 for free, confidential support at any time of day or night. This service, in partnership with Shout, is anonymous and won’t show up on your phone bill. Trained volunteers offer real-time support to people who are struggling, and help get them to get to a calmer place. They can also signpost texters to to local services in Sussex. To learn more, watch this short video about Shout text message support.
Amaze SENDIASS [Brighton & Hove and East Sussex]
The Amaze SENDIASS advice line is open as usual through the summer for parent carers and young people with SEND. Please email [email protected] or call us on 01273 772289 to get advice on mental health or other health issues, or about education, social care or anything else you may need. Please note, all calls go straight to voicemail, so leave your contact details, including your address, and we’ll get back to you. And do let us know if you have a deadline we should be aware of as this helps us to prioritise call backs.
NHS mental health services
Please note: these are support services, not crisis lines. If you require immediate support see above.
Brighton & Hove
The NHS Wellbeing Service offers online video or face to face appointments for children and young people who are experiencing mental health or emotional difficulties. Find out what the Brighton & Hove Wellbeing Service does and how to self-refer. This is also the route for new referrals to the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in Brighton & Hove if you think your child may now need that level of specialist help.
For mental health emergencies call CAMHS duty care on 0300 3040061, the Sussex Mental Healthline on 0300 500 0101 (open 24 hours), or in a life threatening situation call 999.
East Sussex
CAMHS in East Sussex offers support to children and young people who are experiencing mental health or emotional difficulties.
If your child is not already being seen by CAMHS but you think they now need that level of mental health support you need to contact your child’s GP or the Single Point of Advice on 01323 464222 (East Sussex), who deal with all new referrals to CAMHS in East Sussex.
For mental health emergencies out of hours call the Sussex Mental Healthline on 0300 500 0101, or in a life threatening situation call 999.
Support for young people
Please note: these are support services, not crisis lines. If you require immediate support see above.
Amazing Futures peer support for young people with SEND [Brighton & Hove and East Sussex]
Our Amazing Futures youth groups provide a welcoming, inclusive space where young people aged 14 to 25 with additional needs can make friends, have fun, and be themselves. The groups offer the chance to take part in activities like games, cooking and art, plus sessions with specific themes like boardgames or wellbeing workshops. There are also trained peer support volunteers (aged 18 to 25) available for young people to talk to. Find out more about Amazing Futures in Brighton & Hove and East Sussex.
ChatHealth [Brighton & Hove and East Sussex]
ChatHealth confidential texting service for young people aged 11-19 is available as normal. Text the school health team about any concerns or health issues on 07520 618850 [East Sussex] or 07480 635423 [Brighton & Hove].
E-wellbeing website [Brighton & Hove and East Sussex]
Young people (13-25) can use the e-wellbeing website. It is an accessible guide to the mental health services available to young people in Sussex. It will also help them identify self help resources relevant to how they are feeling at the moment.
i-Rock advice and support [East Sussex]
14-25 year olds living in East Sussex can access support through i-Rock, which offers advice and support on emotional and mental wellbeing, The service offers a virtual drop-in between 11am to 6pm Monday to Friday. They also offer a limited number of face to face appointments. If you have questions, email [email protected] or visit the i-Rock website.
Southdown Staying Well Space [East Sussex and Brighton & Hove]
The Staying Well Space (SWS) is an out-of-hours service for people aged 18 or over experiencing mental distress or requiring crisis support. They have walk in centres in Brighton and Eastbourne and another wellbeing centre in Hastings that requires a referral first. You can find the opening hours for each location (plus the latest walk in information) on their website here Staying Well Brighton & Hove – Southdown
School Health One Point [East Sussex]
For information about health issues, including mental health, call School Health One Point (SHOP) on 0300 123 4062 or use their confidential text messaging service on 07507 332473.
These services are for young people aged 11 and 19 years, and also for parent carers. You can also find a range of information on health topics, including mental health, on the School Health website.
Resources
You can also find mental health resources for young people on the Sussex Health and Care Partnership website.
I need support with my own wellbeing as a parent carer
Local helplines and support
Please note, these are all advice and support services, not crisis lines, unless otherwise stated. If you need immediate support, see above.
Amaze SENDIASS [Brighton & Hove and East Sussex]
The Amaze SENDIASS advice line is open as usual through the summer for parent carers and young people with SEND. We are not a mental health service but we can signpost to services and groups that may be helpful to you, as well as giving advice on issues to do with your child’s needs. Please call us on 01273 772289 or email [email protected] to get advice on health, education, social care or anything else SEND related. Please note, all calls go straight to voicemail, so leave your contact details, including your address, and we’ll get back to you. And do let us know if you have a deadline we should be aware of as this helps us to prioritise call backs.
Amaze parent groups and befriending
Though we do not run in-person groups over the school summer holidays (except for our Dads group), our WhatsApp groups continue to offer a virtual meeting space for parents of children and young people with SEND. Get details via our parent groups page.
Contact – Listening Ear [UK-wide]
Contact’s free Listening Ear service offers one to one telephone appointments with a family support adviser for parent carers looking for a listening ear, reassurance and practical and emotional support. Whilst not a local helpline, we felt this service was worth including.
Family Hub Advice Line [East Sussex]
The Family Hub advice line is specifically for parents who are struggling with juggling family life. They can offer advice on taking care of your own wellbeing, supporting children with SEND, supporting your child’s behaviour and dealing with financial, housing or work issues. They also offer activities for children of all ages. The advice line is open all summer from 9am to 5pm weekdays, except Friday, 9am to 4pm. Call 01323 46 46 55 or contact the family advice service here.
Family Hubs [Brighton & Hove]
The local family hubs in Brighton & Hove don’t have an advice line but they can offer information, support, groups and workshops for parents and carers. Families who face more complex challenges can get intensive one-to-one support. Email [email protected] , call 01273 293545 or find out more about what Family Hubs offer here.
Mind in Brighton & Hove [Brighton & Hove]
This charity offers advice and information around mental health issues, and can signpost you to other services that may be able to help. Call them on 01273 66 69 50 and leave your contact details if you’d like to speak with an advisor, or email [email protected].
Sussex Mental Health Line [Brighton & Hove and East Sussex]
If you are concerned about your own mental health (or someone else’s), you can contact the Sussex Mental Health Line. Call 111 and select option 2, or dial 0800 0309 500. Hearing or speech impaired callers using Text Relay or New Generation Text can call 0300 5000 101.
This service is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is run by Sussex Partnership Foundation NHS Trust and can give direct support for mental wellbeing and signpost you to other services appropriate for your needs. This service can offer crisis support.
Shout text messaging service [Sussex]
If you’re feeling low or struggling to cope, text SUSSEX to 85258 for free, confidential support at any time of day or night. This service, in partnership with Shout, is anonymous and won’t show up on your phone bill. Trained volunteers offer real-time support to people who are struggling, and help get them to get to a calmer place. They can also signpost texters to to local services in Sussex. To learn more, watch this short video about Shout text message support.
Southdown Staying Well Space [East Sussex and Brighton & Hove]
The Staying Well Space (SWS) is an out-of-hours service for people aged 18 or over experiencing mental distress or requiring crisis support. They have walk in centres in Brighton and Eastbourne and another wellbeing centre in Hastings that requires a referral first. You can find the opening hours for each location (plus the latest walk in information) on their website here Staying Well Brighton & Hove – Southdown
NHS mental health services
Please note, these are support services, not crisis lines. If you need immediate support, see above.
Brighton & Hove Wellbeing Service [Brighton & Hove]
Brighton & Hove Wellbeing Service offers different types of talking therapies, including workshops and courses, guided online therapy, and some one-to-one support for particular problems.
You can download a form on their website to self-refer, or call them for a paper form. Alternatively speak to your GP and they can refer you.
Health in Mind [East Sussex]
Health in Mind is a free NHS service for anyone in East Sussex experiencing emotional or psychological difficulties. They currently offer support via video or telephone, or through online courses. They are also able to offer some face to face appointments where necessary. Self-refer via their website, or ask your GP to refer you.
Every Mind Matters
You can also find resources to support your mental health and wellbeing on the Every Mind Matters website.
Practical help
cost of living information
Find information on support available to help during the cost of living crisis:
free or discounted food and activities
Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme
The Department for Education-funded HAF programme will be running this summer, with groups and organizations offering food and activities for school-aged children and young people. The activities are free for families who receive benefits-related free schools meals, or are involved with Children’s Services.
Compass and i-go leisure discount cards
The Compass leisure discount card is for young people aged 0 to 25 with significant special educational needs and disabilities in Brighton & Hove, run by Amaze. There is an equivalent card in East Sussex (not run by Amaze) called the i-go card.
You can use these cards at loads of fun places like swimming pools, leisure centres, cinemas, bowling, theatres, escape rooms, museums and more, to get special deals and discounts.
Find out more:
If you’re struggling and need advice and support, or want more information about how to find help, contact the Amaze SENDIASS advice line on 01273 772289 or email [email protected].
Please note, all calls go straight to voicemail. Just leave your contact details, including your address, and we’ll get back to you. Please let us know if you have a deadline we should be aware of as this will help us to prioritise call backs.
