Answers to your questions and concerns to help reassure you before you get in touch or visit us.
If you're a young person, a parent or carer, and thinking about getting in touch with one of our Young Person's services, it can be difficult to know what to expect, particularly if you have never used a service like ours before. Here are some things you might want to know more about, to help you understand how we work and to answer your questions and concerns.
Everyone has their own goals. Whether you're looking to make changes now, or simply want some information and advice and to know what is on offer when you are ready to make a change, we're here to support you. We respect any decisions you make and won’t push you towards making any changes you don’t want, or aren’t feel ready for.
You don’t have to pay for any of our services. We are paid by local authorities to deliver our services. So if you come to see us, whatever that is for, it’s completely free to you.
We want you to feel safe and comfortable when seeking support, and your privacy is really important to us. We won’t tell anyone about anything you tell us without your permission. The only time this might change is if we have serious concerns about your own or someone else’s safety. This could mean that we have to speak with another service or person to help keep you safe. If we have to do this, we will always talk to you about it first.
We’re here to listen and support - we won't judge you. No judgement, no lectures, no nonsense. Just facts, and a friendly face.
Beth’s inspiring story of resilience, from struggling with drug use and mental health to finding purpose in the NHS, shows just how powerful getting the right support can be.
"When I look back at how I am now compared to where I was, I feel I’m the person I always wanted to be." - Beth, 19, Grantham
No, that's not how we work.
Young people come and see us for lots of different reasons and in lots of different situations. We won’t judge you. Instead, we will learn what it is you need from us and help you achieve your goals.
We won’t lecture you about the choices you make, or tell you what we think you should, or shouldn’t do.
What we’re about is giving you the information you need so that you can make better choices for yourself.
If you're a young person and want some information and advice for you or a friend, then you can contact one of our services confidentially. This means that we don’t need to tell anyone that you have spoken with us.
However, if you tell us something that makes us worried about the safety of you, or another person, then we have a responsibility to do something about it. This might mean that we have to speak with another service or person to help keep you safe. If we have to do this, we will talk to you about it first.
If you're worried, you can chat to one of our workers anonymously online using our webchat service. You don't even need to tell us your name.
Young people come to us in lots of different situations and our workers are experienced in dealing with a range of different problems. In many cases, our workers themselves have experienced difficult issues or family situations.
We have Young Peer Mentors and Young Ambassadors working in our services. These are young people who have experienced something similar to you and can help you by sharing their stories.
They understand how difficult it can be to get help, and help us to design our services and make them friendly and welcoming.
We make our opening times as flexible as possible.
Our Young Person's services work outside of school and college hours so that it's easy to come and see us without having to take time out.
You can see our opening hours on your local service pages, which you can find using our service finder.
We totally understand that you might not want to come to our building. You may not want to be seen coming to see us or you may want to avoid someone who comes to our service. Whatever the reason is, we can see you other ways.
If it’s easier for you, then we can come to another building that you already go to, like a school, college, youth club or community centre. We can also see you digitally through an app like facetime or whatsapp video.
Whatever works best for you, just let us know when you get in touch.
We work with young people who have lots of different needs. We'll work out how to support you in a way that works best for you.
Every young person’s situation is different, so if you have a specific need, or if you are worried that we might not be able to help you, please talk to us about this.
Get in touch with your local Young Person's service and let us know about any specific needs you have and we'll work with you to find the best approach for you.
Let us know what language you speak and we will arrange to put something in place.
If you're coming to an appointment, we'll arrange to have an interpreter present who can translate for us.
If you want to get in touch by email, you can email us in your language and we will translate it.
If you speak very little English:
You can drop into one of our Young Person's Services for information and advice, or you can contact us first to make an appointment.
Some of our services have designated opening times for drop-in so it's best to check the times of your local service first using our service finder.
Our services are safe and comfortable places. When you arrive, there may be other people waiting in the reception area but you will be seen in a private room with one of our workers.
It’s useful to bring a diary, notebook or phone with you on your first visit so that you can use these to make a note of any information or future appointments but don’t worry if you forget, we can write everything down for you.
Your first appointment is an opportunity for us to understand a little more about you, your situation and for you to hear a little more about how we can support you.
Appointments usually last about an hour but we will take more time if we need to.
You will be seen by a Young Person’s Worker who will ask you some questions about your life and how you’re feeling in general. This helps us to understand how best we can support you.
We’ll also ask you about your goals and what plans you want to make for the future. Don't worry if you're not sure, we can explore this with you
We won’t push you to talk about difficult things. We just need to have enough information in order to give you the right level of support. It's helpful if you can tell us about any worries or concerns you have, so that we can make the experience as comfortable as possible.
Once we understand a little more about your needs, you’ll start to work with a Young Person’s Worker. They'll help you make a plan, which will detail the work you will do together.
Some of this support will be delivered by your Young Person’s Worker and some might be delivered by other members of the team and sometimes by workers in other agencies. This will all be discussed with you when you put the plan together and we won’t push you into doing anything you don’t feel comfortable with.
You’ll meet regularly with your Young Person’s Worker to look at how well the plan is working out, and to make any changes needed.
We will continue working with you for as long as you feel necessary.
We understand that accessing support can be an incredibly anxious time and we'll do whatever we can to make the experience as comfortable as possible.
When you get in touch with us, please let us know about any worries or fears you may have and we will work with you to find the best approach.
There are a few different ways to make contact:
If you just want information and advice from us then you don’t need to provide us with your personal details. We may ask you a few questions to get a good understanding of your situation, so that we can give you the right advice.
If you have questions, want advice, or are ready to make your first appointment, then we warmly encourage you to get in touch with us.
Use our service finder to find out what we offer in your local area. If we don’t provide the support option you need, we'll point you in the direction of your nearest provider.
Not ready for an in-person service? Chat to one of our trained recovery workers online to get free, confidential advice and information.
