New Emotional and Wellbeing service for Wakefield District’s children and young people

Children and young people in the Wakefield District will be able to get more early help for their emotional health and wellbeing from 1 April 2023.

A new service aims to offer short-term support to those within the community with mild, emerging difficulties.

Issues may include low mood, anxiety and managing emotions like anger and being scared. Bullying or online bullying, friendship problems, loneliness and sadness would also be addressed.

The Compass charity is launching a new Emotional and Mental Wellbeing Service across the whole area, with staff offering a range of advice, support and education on emotional health matters using text, web-based and face-to-face methods to engage young people and families.

Compass staff, working in local communities, will offer

• Guided self-help (online and face-to-face)
• Psychoeducation
• Supported referrals
• Peer support groups
• Parenting programmes

Young people will have access to a texting hotline service called ‘SHOUT’ with the new, dedicated Wakefield hotline staffed by real workers responding in real time.

The existing WF-ICAN website will also continue to provide self-help, health promotion and protection resources, information, advice and signposting.

Mel Brown, Director of System Reform and Integrated Care Partnerships, said: “During the COVID-19 pandemic we sought the views of children, young people, parents, carers and adults about how they wanted early support to be provided.

“Key themes were that children and young people wanted someone to talk to who would listen and a safe, private space where they can talk with someone they can trust and the new service from Compass will provide this.”

The new service, which is aligned to The Wakefield Resilience Framework will work closely with existing agencies in the district.

Jane Wright, of Compass, added: “We want to help children and young people in Wakefield to enjoy good emotional and mental well-being, build resilience and feel supported and safe in their communities.”

“There will be a strong emphasis on intervening early with issues and preventing them from developing into something more serious.

“This is done through conversation – we engage with them, get to know what’s going on for them, what are their concerns, what they would like to do, what are their goals.”

The team will be promoting their work with posters and leaflets, social media, advertising and by word of mouth in schools, community centres and family hubs and will work closely with existing organisations working with children and young people in the community.

York-based Compass has many years of experience in providing emotional health and wellbeing services for children and young people in their communities and runs services across England.