BeeU

Children and young people can directly access Kooth without the need for a referral being made.

Kooth is an online emotional wellbeing community for children and young people aged 11 to 25 where they can access free, safe, and anonymous support. Visit the Kooth website to sign up.

Children and young people seeking mental health support can call 0808 196 4501, MPFT’s Freephone helpline available 24/7. You will be able to speak to specially-trained mental health staff and discuss your mental health care needs.

Shout is the UK's 24/7 text service for anyone who is struggling to cope. Get free, confidential mental health support anytime, anywhere. Text the word 'Shout' to 85258. Messages won't appear on your phone bill.

For more information visit the Shout website.

Every school and educational setting in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin should have a designated lead for Mental Health. The designated mental health lead can be contacted for advice and help about supporting a child in school.

BeeU work in partnership with some schools in the region as part of the Mental Health in Schools and Colleges programme to:

• deliver evidence-based interventions for mild-to-moderate mental health difficulties
• support the school or college to develop a whole school approach to mental health
• give timely advice to educational staff, and liaise with specialist services to help children get the right support

For more information please email either the Shropshire Team (shropshiremhst@mpft.nhs.uk) or the Telford & Wrekin Team (telfordmhst@mpft.nhs.uk)

When children and young people have needs related to neurodiversity they may require support from a range of services.

The support offer for neurodivergent children in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin can be found on the Healthier Together website.

The local offer is for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) aged 0 to 25. It provides information and support to families that is specific to what is available in their local area:

• for Shropshire please visit: The SEND local offer (Shropshire Council)
• for Telford please visit: SEND Local offer (telfordsend.org.uk)

We know that children's parents, carers, and families play a big role in helping them to feel happy and safe, and there is a range of support available to families across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. Please follow the links for more information and access to support, including free online ‘Understanding Your Child’ resources:

• Shropshire families - The Parenting Team (Shropshire Council)
• Telford Families - Parenting support Information (Family Connect)

YoungMinds is a mental health charity for children and young people.

Whether you want to understand more about how you're feeling and find ways to feel better, or you want to support someone who's struggling, Young Minds can help.

Visit the YoungMinds website.

Childline is a free, private, and confidential service where young people can talk about anything. Calls are free and confidential.

Calls are not recorded, and its number won't show up on any phone bills. Call 0800 1111 (24 hours a day, every day).

Visit the Childline website.

BeeU provides assessment for Autism for school aged children (5 to 18 years) in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

Who can refer?

Any Health, Social Care or Education professional can refer children and young people. It is best if a professional who knows the child well ,and can therefore provide good information on the child's strengths and difficulties, makes the referral.

Please ensure any parents with parental responsibility are aware of, and in agreement with, the referral.

How do I make a referral?

Please complete the referral form and send to BeeUND@mpft.nhs.uk with all additional information.

BeeU ND Referral Form 2024 (docx)

Acceptance Criteria

Evidence across multiple settings (e.g home, and school, and socially) of:

• persistent difficulties in initiating and sustaining social communication and reciprocal social interactions that are outside the expected range of typical functioning given the person's age and level of intellectual development
• persistent restricted, repetitive, and inflexible patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities that are clearly atypical or excessive for the person's age and socio-cultural context
• the onset of the difficulties started during the developmental period, typically in early childhood
• the symptoms result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational, or other important areas of functioning

Exclusion Criteria

• an assessment may not be provided if there is not sufficient evidence of difficulties
• an assessment may not be provided if the child / young person, their family / carers will not, or refuse to, give consent to access the service
• an assessment may not be provided if the symptoms and difficulties do not result in significant impairment of functioning

BeeU provides ADHD assessment, diagnosis, and treatment for school aged children (6 to 18 years) in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

Who can refer?

Any Health, Social Care or Education professional can refer children and young people. It is best if a professional who knows the child well ,and can therefore provide good information on the child's strengths and difficulties, makes the referral.

Please ensure any parents with parental responsibility are aware of, and in agreement with, the referral.

How do I make a referral?

Please complete the referral form and send to BeeUND@mpft.nhs.uk with all additional information.

BeeU ND Referral Form 2024 (docx)

Acceptance Criteria

Understanding that while ADHD-like symptoms are found in many people some of the time, (and especially in children) in people with ADHD they are severe, persistent over time, and lead to clinically significant impairments in functioning. There is a need for evidence across multiple settings (e.g home, and school, and socially) of:

• hyperactivity:
  • acting before thinking of consequences
  • difficulty maintaining attention for any period on a task
  • jumping from one activity to another
  • having difficulty with organization and time management
  • poor sleep
• impulsivity:
  • restlessness (inability to sit still, fidgeting, etc)
  • undertaking risky behaviours
  • tendency to interrupt others conversations
  • inability to wait their own turn / queue / raise hand prior to calling out
• inattention:
  • easily distracted
  • thoughts drifting / day dreaming
  • inability to complete work or tasks
  • difficulties with listening

Exclusion Criteria

• an assessment may not be provided if there is not sufficient evidence of difficulties
• an assessment may not be provided if the child / young person, their family / carers will not, or refuse to, give consent to access the service
• an assessment may not be provided if the symptoms and difficulties do not result in significant impairment of functioning

BeeU provides information and advice, assessment and formulation, and support and treatment of mental health difficulties for children and young people in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

BeeU will provide services for young people struggling with:

• Adverse Childhood Experiences and/or Developmental Trauma
  • difficulties with thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and establishing / maintaining relationships triggered by experiences of abuse, neglect, or trauma
• Anxiety
  • excessive fear when separating from caregivers (Separation Anxiety)
  • intense fear of being judged, rejected, or failing (Social Anxiety)
  • anxious generally, with no trigger (Generalised Anxiety)
  • unexpected intense fear with sense of impending doom (Panic)
  • distressing intrusive thoughts and feeling compelled to 'do things' to stop or prevent those thoughts. Performing behaviours (rituals / habits) to manage anxious feelings (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
  • disturbed by or reliving a traumatic event, experience flashbacks, panic, intense guilt (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
• Attachment Difficulties
  • difficulties with relationships including when child and parent/caregiver struggle to form the expected bond
• Behaviours of Concern (from a child or young person with a Learning Disability
  • behaviours presenting a significant risk of harm to the young person and/or others and impact significantly on the quality of life of the young person and/or those around them
• Eating Disorders (see Eating Disorders referral form below)
  • abnormal eating behaviours including: avoidance, restricting diet, inducing vomiting. In addition to abnormal thoughts that are negative about and focussed on food, diet, weight, eating.
• Low Mood and Depression
  • a low mood with an associated loss of interest or pleasure, disturbed sleep and appetite, and inability to focus
• Self-Harm
  • intentional damage or injury to self without the intention to complete suicide
• Suicidal thoughts, intentions, plans, or attempts / In Crisis
  • showing despair and demonstrating a significant risk to self. In an emergency always dial 999.

Who can refer?

Any Health, Social Care or Education professionals can refer children and young people. It is best if a professional who knows the child well, and can therefore provide good information on the child's strengths and difficulties, makes the referral.

Please ensure any parents with parental responsibility are aware of, and in agreement with, the referral.

How do I make a referral?

For Mental Health Services please complete the referral form and send to 025spa@mpft.nhs.uk with as much information as possible.

• BeeU Mental Health Referral Form 2024 (docx)

For Specialist Community Eating Disorder referrals, please complete the referral form and send to CEDSReferrals@mpft.nhs.uk with as much information as possible.

• BeeU CEDS Referral Form 2024 (docx)

Acceptance Criteria

A service will be offered where there is information and evidence about a mental health difficulty. Difficulties should be considered within an age-appropriate and situational context. Consider the amount that a difficulty impacts on: Functioning (the ability to take part in daily activities) and the amount of Distress or discomfort this causes.

Exclusion Criteria

A direct service (an assessment, or clinical intervention) may not be provided if there is not a sufficient emotional wellbeing or mental health need requiring targeted interventions from a specialist mental health service.

A service will not be provided if the child / young person, or their family / carers will not, or refuse to, give consent to access the service (whereby the child / young person has the capacity to consent, consideration can be given to assessment of capacity and or assessment under the Mental Health Act if required).

The service is not intended to (and should not) provide assessment nor management of:

• Mental Health Care for a service user aged 18 or above (consider Adult Mental Health Services)
• Primary Issues of Parental Mental Illness (consider Adult Mental Health Services)
• Primary Issues of Child Protection, Abuse, Neglect, and ensuring the safety of a child (consider Police or Children's Social Care)
• School related difficulties, with bullying or learning (consider pastoral support or Educational Psychology Service)
• Specialist Services for difficulties with Bereavement, Domestic Violence, Sexual Abuse, Substance Misuse (consider Bereavement, Domestic Violence, Sexual Abuse or Addiction Services)
• Psychological / Talking Therapy for young people aged 16 and over (consider NHS Talking Therapies)

• A decision as to how we respond to a referral will be a clinical judgement made on the quality of information provided, by a clinician with the relevant skills and experience (and the support of our Multi-Disciplinary Team as and when required).
• If the decision is that a referral is not accepted, BeeU will provide the referrer with a rationale for this, alongside advice on what other services are deemed more appropriate, or what information is currently missing that should be provided.
• If the decision is that a referral is accepted for an assessment, BeeU will provide the referrer and the child and their family with confirmation of this, with advice on current predicted waiting times, and any information on what other services could also be accessed in the meantime.

If you have questions about the status of your referral, we would advise you discuss with the professional who made the referral in the first instance.

Call 999 or go immediately to Accident & Emrgency if:

• someone's life is at risk - for example they have seriously injured themselves or taken an overdose
• you do not feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe

A mental health emergency should be taken as seriously as a physical one. You will not be wasting anyone's time.

• BeeU Shrewsbury Severn Fields Leaflet (PDF)
• BeeU Shrewsbury Severn Fields Leaflet Easy Read (PDF)
• BeeU Telford Langley Leaflet (PDF)
• BeeU Telford Langley Leaflet Easy Read (PDF)

If you have experience of using our services, or care for someone who does, you can become involved in the Trust's work, have your voice heard, and take part in projects and activities.

Using your experience of our services, enthusiasm and ideas for potential improvement, can bring a whole new point of view to the planning and delivery of those services. Also, this may give you a better experience of services which contributes to your own health and wellbeing as well as improving services for others.

The following are some examples of involvement:

• sharing experience of services at forums to feed back to managers
• taking part in focus groups or workshops to influence service design and development
• involvement in the recruitment and selection of staff
• helping to improve the effectiveness of staff training
• taking part in research and audit
• take part in our Mystery Shopper programme
• be included on a mailing list (armchair consultation) to give your views on information leaflets, policies and other consultations

Travel expenses can be claimed and for some activities, an involvement fee is offered. More information about the payment policy is available on request.

To register your interest in Involvement please complete the online form.