UPDATE TO BEAM SERVICE IN RESPONSE TO COVID19

Shropshire Telford & Wrekin Beam – Phone-based support offer

(updated 01.04.2020)

Over the last 2 weeks we have been working on how we can continue to provide support for the young people who access our drop-in services. 

From 2nd April 2020, Shropshire Telford & Wrekin Beam will be offering a call-back telephone service.

Please note that we are not offering a crisis or instant response service.

The support being offered is purely phone-based.  We cannot provide support via email, text/messaging apps or on video calling platforms. 

Accessing call-back support:

Young people can email us at AskBeam@childrenssociety.org.uk asking for support.  Once they have emailed, an automatic response will ask for some more information.  When this has been completed, a team member will contact them to discuss what help they need, and when the best time would be for a practitioner to call them.

Calls will be booked in with our practitioners within our usual drop-in times.

Accessing support without a call back:

Where a young person does not want to talk but still needs some support, they can still contact us via AskBeam@childrenssociety.org.uk.  We can send details of online resources, information and apps which can offer support.

Information for Professionals:

You can signpost any young people who you feel would benefit from knowing more about this offer to our website https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/beam/coronavirus.

You can also pass on the details as to how they get in touch with us.  Please ask the young person to contact us via AskBeam@childrenssociety.org.uk. 

We won’t be able to contact young people unless the request for contact from our service has come from the young person or their parent/carer.

For all young people who are aged 13 and under, their parent/carer will need to make a request on the young person’s behalf.

As with our face to face drop-ins, the young person should want to engage with us, and be able to do so over the phone. 

Information for Parents/carers:

If you feel your child(ren)/young person would benefit from our support, please take a look at our website https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/beam/coronavirus.

For young people aged 13+ please ask them to contact us via AskBeam@childrenssociety.org.uk. 

For young people who are aged 13 and under, you will need to contact us on their behalf via AskBeam@childrenssociety.org.uk.

As with our face to face drop-ins, the young person should want to engage with us, and be able to do so over the phone.

We will continue to innovate and adapt as we need to. This is an enormous effort from every corner of The Children’s Society to ensure we can continue to offer support to the children and young people we work with.  For more information about how our charity is working at the moment, or to donate to our emergency Coronavirus appeal, please go to our website at https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/

If you would like more information from us about this service offer, please email us at AskBeam@childrenssociety.org.uk.

What is Beam?

Beam is an emotional wellbeing drop-in service for children & young people under the age of 25, ran by The Chlidren's Society.  Beam works with young people by:

• Listening, and working with them to help them understand their feelings and emotions;
• Giving helpful, relevant advice, information and signposting;
• Promoting emotional wellbeing, helping young people develop new ways to cope with life's challenges;
• Providing workshops where young people can receive support in a group setting.  For our latest workshop calendar, please email us or come along to one of our drop-in sessions.

Drop in sessions are available in Shrewsbury, Telford & Ludlow.  

You don’t need to be referred or have an appointment: just drop-in!

How to contact us: AskBeam@childrenssociety.org.uk

Saturdays 11:00 - 16:00 (please note: we can provide service information only after 15:00)

Click here to see a Virtual Tour of Beam on Google

Beam in Shropshire (weekly session)

@ Upstairs at Palmers Coffee Shop, Belmont Church Claremont Street, Shrewsbury SY1 1QG

Thursdays 14:00 - 19:00 (please note: we can provide service information only after 18:00)

Beam in Ludlow (2 sessions per month)

@ Ludlow Youth Centre, Lower Galdeford, Ludlow SY8 1RT

The first and third Wednesdays of the month 15:30 - 19:00 (please note: we can provide service information only after 18:00)

Want more information?

Email us: AskBeam@childrenssociety.org.uk

For more information about The Children’s Society please visit www.childrenssociety.org.uk

Kooth provides an anonymous 24-hour online service offering peer support, self-help and have trained counsellors to talk to. 

Anyone aged 11-25, living in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, can register to access this service and you don’t need to be referred or have an appointment.

Whilst the website is available 24 hours, there will be someone to talk to online at the following times:

• 12:00 to 22:00 (Monday to Friday)
• 18:00 to 22:00 (Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays)

For more information visit Kooth – www.kooth.com

Healios is a specialist online provider of mental health and neurodevelopmental services to enhance the way in which children, young people, adults and their families access the right support, when and where they need it. 

Healios blends the best of technology with clinical evidence-based techniques and trained clinicians to deliver assessments, evidence-based psychological therapies, and earlier intervention in a unique online experience on any device connected to the internet. 

Healios provide psychological therapies online which are delivered by qualified practitioners (the same kind as those based in the Young People and Families Mental Health Service).

Healios’ approach has been established on evidence based best practice (evidence-based is the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values) and is endorsed by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence. 

Healios work as part of the Young People and Families Mental Health Team to offer online, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Family Based Therapy (FBT) for eating disorders and specific post diagnostic interventions following a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

For help go to www.healios.org.uk

ThinkNinja app

ThinkNinja is a freely available mental health app with specific COVID-19 support which brings self-help skills to young people (10-18 years old) who maybe experiencing increased anxiety and stress during this time.

ThinkNinja provides an opportunity for young people to understand the following:

• Fears relating to the virus
• Isolation struggles and how to stay connected to family and friends
• Worries about personal health and health of family members
• Coping techniques to use during the crisis
• Plus many other helpful tips

For more information please visit the ThinkNinja website here 

To access ThinkNinja download it from your app store

You may need to be referred to the specialist Young People and Families Mental Health Service.  We provide the specialist mental health element of Bee U which includes a broad spectrum of community-based mental health services, ranging from early intervention through to specialist treatment and crisis resolution for young people with mental health problems.

We have a multi-disciplinary team of professionals trained to deliver a range of therapeutic support, working together as a team to understand and support the needs of individual children and families.

These are some of the people you might meet at the service:

• Mental Health Worker
• Psychologist
• Therapist
• Psychiatrist
• Nurse Specialist
• You may also be supported to access therapy from Healios

My First Appointment

When you first come to your appointment you will meet a Mental Health worker, often with your parent/carer.  The worker will ask you questions to get to know you better and will want to find out what life’s been like for you and how you are feeling. They might ask you about things at home, school or friends and what kinds of things you like doing.  You might like to ask us them questions too so you might like to write these down and bring them with you to your appointment.

What happens next?

Once the team has completed their assessment, they will talk through the options available and your preferences, so that together we can plan and agree the best treatment for you.
The amount of support and help can vary depending on your needs but some examples of interventions may include:

• Advice
• Consultancy
• Therapy (either individually or in groups)
• Working with you and your family/carers
• Joint working with other professionals or agencies (such as social services)
• Training e.g. around sleep routines

Telephone 0300 124 0093 (option 1) or complete a referral form or email a letter to 025SPA@mpft.nhs.uk

All referrals will be triaged by an NHS practitioner.

If an assessment is appropriate, the young person will receive a face to face assessment to help the practitioner understand the current difficulties.

Once the team has completed their assessment, they will talk through the options available, so that together we can plan and agree the best support.

If not appropriate, practitioners may contact referrers for more information or will signpost family/young people to other services.

Write to us

Severn Fields Health Village
Sundorne Road
Shrewsbury
SY1 4RQ

Langley School
Duce Drive
Dawley
Telford
TF4 3JS

Shropshire Council's Parenting Team delivers various clinics and groups. Please click the links below to see the Spring 2020 term delivery schedule for more details.

Parenting Team Clinic delivery Spring Term 2020.pdf

Parenting Team Group delivery Spring Term 2020.pdf

MPFT does not currently offer any Autism services in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. 

The following local support is available;

The Shropshire family service is funded by Shropshire Council. Families must live in the Shropshire Council area, and have children under 18 years old, with autism/autistic traits. An autism diagnosis is not needed.

Shropshire family service

The Telford Autism Hub provides support for those 18 years and above without a learning disability

Telford Autism Hub