Getting support over the summer

If you require immediate support for your child you can:

• Call 111 and choose the mental health option. You will be connected to a 24/7 mental health crisis line. The service is also known locally as the Sussex Mental Healthline.
• For text-based support, you can text SUSSEX to 85258.
• Your child or young person can also get urgent mental health support from Childline, Samaritans, Papyrus and Sane.
• in a life threatening situation call 999 or go to A&E

If you need immediate support for yourself you can:

• Call 111 and choose the mental health option. You will be connected to a 24/7 mental health crisis line. The service is also known locally as the Sussex Mental Healthline
• contact the Samaritans on 116 123 (open 24 hours)
• in a life threatening situation call 999 or go to A&E

Please note: these are all advice and support services, not crisis lines. If you require immediate support see above.

Amaze SENDIASS[Brighton & Hove and East Sussex]

The Amaze SENDIASS advice service 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.

Young Minds Parents Helpline [UK-wide]

Free and confidential advice line or parents and carers who are concerned about their child or young person’s mental health. The child or young person must be aged 25 or under. Open Monday – Friday 9.30am – 4.00pm. Call 0808 802 5544 or use their online chat tool.

Family Hubs [Brighton & Hove and East Sussex]

Family Hubs can support any parents who are struggling 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. Drop in to your local family hub to get advice. See East Sussex Family Hubs and Brighton & Hove Family Hubs

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.

Please note: these are support services, not crisis lines. If you require immediate support see above.

Brighton & Hove

The NHS Wellbeing Service is the first point of access for support for children and young people who are experiencing mental health or emotional difficulties.  This is also the route for new referrals to the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in Brighton & Hove. Find out what the Brighton & Hove Wellbeing Service does and how to self-refer.

East Sussex

Young people experiencing social, emotional and mental health difficulties can request support (or you can ask for support for them) via the East Sussex Single Point of Advice (SPoA) on 01323 464222 (East Sussex).

Please note: these are support services, not crisis lines. If you require immediate support see above.

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

Amazing Futures groups 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.

Resources

You can also find mental health resources for young people on the Sussex Health and Care Partnership website.

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 [Brighton & Hove and East Sussex]

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 Hubs [Brighton & Hove and East Sussex]

Family Hubs can offer advice on taking care of your own wellbeing, supporting your 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. Drop in to your local family hub to get advice. See East Sussex Family Hubs and Brighton & Hove Family Hubs

Mind [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]. Mind also offers wellbeing services in East Sussex.

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

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. Refer yourself via the website or ask your GP to 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.

Find information on support available to help during the cost of living crisis:

• Cost of living support – East Sussex County Council
• Cost of living support – Brighton & Hove City Council
• Help for households – gov.uk
• Smarter Uniforms Marketplace: buy and sell second hand school uniforms

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.

• Holidays and food programme – East Sussex
• Holidays and food programme – Brighton & Hove

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:

• Compass Card [Brighton & Hove]
• i-go scheme (East Sussex)