Children’s Commissioner hails the Help at Hand service in supporting young people over the Summer

The Children’s Commissioner has hailed the Help at Hand service as a huge support for young people over the long summer holidays. The service, run from the Commissioner’s office, is a free service offering advice and assistance for children and young people who are in care, have a social worker or are working with social services, living away from home or care leavers. The service can be accessed by the children and young people or their advocates free via phone (0800 528 0731), website or email. They also host a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section that may offer immediate solutions.

The Children’s Commissioner, Rachel Da Souza, said, “Children and young people needing support with their mental health feature significantly in the work of Help at Hand, my advice and advocacy service for children in care, leaving care, working with children’s services or living away from home. This could be children who are living with their families but struggling on a daily basis, children who are looked after by local authorities but not having their mental health needs met, and care leavers dealing with past trauma. These children and young people often face obstacles to accessing the right therapy from the NHS, and for some it leads to acute mental health issues, self-harm, or hospitalisation. The team has worked with a number of children who are detained in wards, despite this being the wrong environment for them, simply because there is no suitable setting available from either the NHS or Children’s Social Care."