I need help now
Hackney CYP Mental Health Hub is not a crisis service.
If you feel you are in crisis, or at risk of harming yourself, please contact the City and Hackney 24-hour Mental Health Crisis Line on either 111 (Option 2) or 0800 073 0006, or make an emergency appointment with your GP, or phone the Samaritans on 116 123.
In an emergency, please attend your local accident and emergency department (A&E) or call 999.
Feeling anxious, worried or stressed? Maybe you just want to chat things through in a safe, confidential space. Either way, we are here to help. Scroll down to find out more about what we can offer and how it works.
What we can offer
Youth worker support & guidance
Our youth workers can help you tackle everyday challenges like exam stress or friendships, and to manage them effectively. We can also help build your practical skills so you can make informed decisions about your life (e.g. becoming independent, educational transitions, employment). We can help you with things like finding a job.
Counsellors
Our Counsellors listen and help you understand your thoughts, feelings and emotions in a consistent, safe and confidential space.
They can also help you understand and process things that have happened in the past or are currently happening in your life, like big changes, loss, family problems, or difficult experiences.
Creative arts therapists
Art therapists can help you explore your feelings creatively through sand play, drama, storytelling, art and other activities.
Support groups
Our groups let you connect with others your age who might be going through the same things.
Our current groups include:
- Girls Group for 14-16 year olds
- Sports & Wellbeing for 11–14 year olds
- HeadStart employability workshops for 16+
How it works
Following a referral, we follow a pattern of contact:
You will meet with the service manager and together you will establish if this is the right service for you, what you would like to hope and achieve as a result of this service.
We will also let you know about any waiting time you may experience.
Ahead of your first session we will send you a link to the onboarding form along with any parental consent forms we need completed.
You would receive up to 12 sessions. Meeting every week, at the same time, you can expect a consistent, confidential, safe space.
This review will look to ensure if the support is helpful and works for you. It will allow us, together, to decide if further sessions are needed
We will also identify any other support needs, and whether there is anything you need us to communicate with your parents, school or college.
After your final session, we will meet up for an exit meeting. During this meeting we will talk about whether your hopes and expectations were achieved, what you liked, what you didn’t like, what you wish was different and any further support needs. After, you’ll be given a short survey to complete.
Got questions?
We can meet with you for up to 12 sessions.
Our sessions typically last 50 minutes and are scheduled for regular weekly slots. Regular attendance and arrival on time are important to get the most out of your sessions. During the onboarding process your time and location will be confirmed.
Your privacy is important to us. What you share with us stays with us. We’ll only share your information if we’re worried about your safety or someone else’s.
If we do need to share information, we’ll always try to talk to you first.
If you are under 16, we will usually need your parents’ or guardian’s consent to access our services. However, if we believe you are mature enough to make decisions for yourself, you may be able to access support without parental consent.
This will be discussed with you during the referral process to ensure you feel safe and supported.
Unless we are concerned about their safety, our conversations with your child will remain confidential between the counsellor/youth worker and your child.
Absolutely. You can always email us and a member of the team will get in touch: [email protected]
This sounds like the right place for me
If Hackney CYP Mental Health Hub feels like the right fit for you, you can complete a self-referral using the button below.
Online self-referral form
Need more support?
If you are in need of other support, here are some other services which you may find helpful:
The Mix – Essential support for under 25s. Great articles and tips regarding emotional health, self-care and other topics,
including finances, work, drugs and relationships. They also have a 24-hour webchat and supportive discussion groups.
Kooth - text service for young people (up to 19yrs old) during emotionally difficult times
Anna Freud – self-care activities and resources
Shout – Text ‘Shout’ to 85258 a free, confidential, anonymous text support service. Text from anywhere in the UK.
Calm – an app to help you improve your wellbeing
Headspace – an app for meditation and mindfulness
Calm Harm - a free app that helps you manage or resist the urge to self-harm
Liberate - meditation & mindfulness app for people of colour made by people of colour
