i-Thrive in Lewisham

Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs)

Referrals are only accepted from MHST School.

Eligibility and Criteria

• low mood: sadness, low motivation
• mild to moderate anxiety: fears and worries
• behaviours that challenge
• family and peer relationship difficulties
• difficulty adjusting to change and transition
• difficulty regulating emotions
• school absences or at risk of exclusion due to mental health

Contact details:

Tel: 020 7138 1100
Email: LewishamMHST@slam.nhs.uk 
Address: Floor 2, Kaleidoscope Child Development Centre, 32 Rushey Green, London, SE6 4JF
Website: Lewisham MHST

Young Carers and Young Adults Carers Lewisham

Does not accept self-referrals for families for children 15 and under.

Supports Children and Young People Aged 5-25 years old

• relatives/friends who are disabled
• ill
• metal ill health
• drug problem 
• alcohol problem

Aged 5-15 Referrals would need to come through:

• a professional working with the family (such as a social worker)
• someone at the child’s school who is aware of their caring role (teacher or pastoral lead)
• the family or child’s GP who is aware of their caring role.

Contact details:

Tel: 0208 699 8686
Email: info@carerslewisham.org.uk
Website: Carers Lewisham

Advice Lewisham

Advice Lewisham is the network of the main free advice providers in the London Borough of Lewisham.

Advice Lewisham help with:

• housing 
• Council Tax
  
• debt
• rent arrears
• divorce
  
• consumer goods
  
• employment
• Immigration 

Contact Details:

Tel: 0800 231 5453
Address: Citizen Advice Lewisham, Bonfield Road, Lewisham, London, SE13 5EU
Website: Advice Lewisham

LGBTQ+ Jigsaw

For young people who are questioning their sexuality and/or gender identity and who are: 

• lesbian
• gay
• bisexual
• transsexual

Drop in every Thursday 2:00pm-4:00pm at: THT Lighthouse North, 214-5 Upper Marsh, NE1 3PJ

Contact details:

Tel: 0407 323 1167 Mon-Fri: 10:00am-1:00pm
Email: info@lgbtjigsaw.net
Website: LGBTQ Jigsaw

If you are a young person trying to make contact with us for the first time, the best way to contact us id via our self-referral form or phone / text: 03 3378 1471 4623.

Families affected by drugs and alcohol

FEISMSP is a universal referral method for families affected by substance misuse.
Anyone is able to refer residents of Lewisham who wants specialist information and a targeted introduction to support offered by substance misuse services.

They provide support to a number of adults and young people:

• a parental cannabis group
• support group offering alternative therapies to women who use drugs and/or alcohol
  
• support for young people aged 11 and over who are affected by a parent or carer's substance misuse
  
• support for young people aged 11 and over who are using drugs and/or alcohol or at risk of substance misuse
• support for family members and carers affected by another person's alcohol abuse or substance misuse, including counselling and alternative therapies
  
• support for parents who want to control their use of drugs and/or alcohol
  
• a peer support network and befriending service for parents who do not want to access treatment for alcohol abuse or substance misuse
• support for parents who have a child using drugs or alcohol

Contact details:

Website: Lewisham Council

Kooth Counselling

Kooth is a free online counselling and emotional well-being support service for young people aged 10-25 years living in, attending school or with a Lewisham GP. It is a safe, secure and anonymous supporting service with a professional team of qualified counsellors.

Watch this short video to find out more about Kooth. 

Contact details:

Website: Kooth
Kooth operates out of hours service weekdays from 12-10pm and the weekend from 6pm-10pm 365 days a year.

Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs)

Referrals are only accepted from MHST school

Eligibility and Criteria

• Low mood: sadness, low motivation
• Mild to moderate anxiety: fears and worries
• Behaviours that challenge
• Family and peer relationship difficulties
• Difficulty adjusting to change and transition
• Difficulty regulating emotions
• School absences or at risk of exclusion due to mental health

Contact details:

Tel: 020 7138 1100
Email: LewishamMHST@slam.nhs.uk 
Address: Floor 2, Kaleidoscope Child Development Centre, 32 Rushey Green, London, SE6 4JF
Website: Lewisham MHST

Children Wellbeing Practitioners (CWP)

The Lewisham CAMHS Child Wellbeing Practitioner (CWP) Team is part of Lewisham Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). We provide a low-intensity mental health service to young people who may not meet the threshold for mainstream CAMHS teams.

CWP’s provides short-term, low intensity, evidence-based, guided self-help interventions for children, young people and their parents. 
We offer treatment for 

• mild to moderate anxiety
• low mood
• mild behavioural difficulties.

Contact details:

Tel: 0203228 1000
Address: 78 Lewisham Park, London Se13 6QJ

Mindful Mums

Lewisham Mindful Mums helps pregnant women and new mums in the London Borough of Lewisham to look after themselves during what can be a challenging period of their lives.
Lewisham Mindful Mums groups are free for woman to learn how to:

• stay emotionally well
• develop confidence
• social connections

Contact details:

Tel: 0203 228 0760/ 01689 811222
Website: Lewisham Mindful Mums
Email: mindfulmums@blgmind.org.uk for details on how to join in
Address: Lewisham Community Support & Peer Support, 91 Granville Park, Lewisham, SE13 7DW

BEING DAD

For expectant/new dads or men with parenting responsibility for babies and young children up to two years old. The groups help men look after their own health and wellbeing during a life-changing period of their lives.   Sessions are held online and the group is led by experienced fathers from a variety of backgrounds and walks of life.  

Workshops: 

• Being Dad: Drop-In
• Being Dad: 5-week online course

Contact details:

Email: beingdad@blgmind.org.uk 
Tel: 07707 274391 for details of how to join in.
Telephone: 01689 811222

Papyrus Suicide Prevention

Offers confidential support and advice to young people struggling with thoughts of suicide, and anyone worried about a young person, get help through our helpline, HOPELINEUK.

Contact Details:

Tel: 0800 068 41 41 
Text: 07860039967
Website: Papyrus
Email: admin@papyrus-uk.org / pat@papyrus-uk.org

Peer mentors and befriending

Lewisham Peer Support is a service for adults with experience of mental health problems living in the borough of Lewisham who want to: 

• run activity-based groups to help others in a similar situation (peers).  
• attend activity-based groups to support their own mental wellbeing.

Contact details:

Tel: 0208 228 0760 or Smita Patel on 07850 639 811

Website: Lewisham Peer Support

Young Carers and Young Adults Carers Lewisham

Do not accept self-referrals for families for children 15 and under.

Supports children and young people aged 5-25 years old

• relatives/friends who are disabled
• ill
• metal ill health
• drug problem 
• alcohol problem

Aged 5-15 Referrals would need to come through:

• a professional working with the family (such as a social worker)
• someone at the child’s school who is aware of their caring role (teacher or pastoral lead)
• the family or child’s GP who is aware of their caring role.

Contact details:

Tel: 0208 699 8686
Email: info@carerslewisham.org.uk
Website: Carers Lewisham

Adult Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT)

A free and confidential NHS service provided by the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. We are part of the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme. Offering a range of short-term psychological therapies to adults 18 years and over, who are registered with a Lewisham GP.

Contact details:

Tel: 0203 228 1350
Website: IAPT Lewisham 

The Outreach Inclusion Service (OIS)

The Outreach Inclusion Service offers every Lewisham mainstream Primary and Secondary school access to support for children aged 4-16, and their families, who are experiencing difficulties in participating fully in their educational setting. The team comprises teachers, advisors and therapists specialising in working with children and young people (CYP) whose main barriers to learning are their social and emotional needs.  We draw on our vast experience gained from working in mainstream schools, specialist schools and alternative provisions, adjusting our support to meet the needs of all learners.

We offer:

• one-to-one work with children
• group work
  
• whole class intervention
  
• year 6 secondary transition workshops
• year 7 intervention workshops
• attending professional meetings and liaising with outside agencies
  
• providing bespoke insets for teachers and/or support staff around positive behaviour management 
  
• meeting with parents (home visits when required)
  
• advice and reports to support submissions of EHCP needs requests and supporting schools to develop graduated responses
  
• supporting individual teachers with behaviour management
  
• revising and supporting the implementation of behaviour policies 
• supporting the reintegration of students returning to mainstream school and children who are on a managed move from another school

Criteria: 

• CYPs need to be aged 4-16
• attending a mainstream school and be a resident of Lewisham borough
• home visits will be considered for those with poor attendance, but it is the norm for intervention to take place in the school setting.
  Schools should discuss referrals with their assigned advisors to establish if they have capacity, if OIS input is considered appropriate and, if so, the length of intervention.

Contact details:

Website: Lewisham Outreach Inclusion Service 

Ellen Stewart, OIS Administrator
ellen.stewart@lewisham.gov.uk
Tel: 0208 325 4579

Aquisze Phoenix, OIS Manager
Email: aquisze.phoenix@lewisham.gov.uk
Tel: 07720 091 659

OIS operates in school term time, 8:30am to 4:30pm.

Early Years Alliance (EYA)

Early Years Alliance offer a broad range of support packages for children and families:

Parent support: 
Our Therapeutic Parenting Programmes support parents to meet their child’s needs and improve behaviour for children with: 

• serious, high risk or distressing behaviours
  
• conduct disorders
  
• oppositional defiance disorder
  
• and where ADHD might be suspected or diagnosed

These programmes include:

• incredible Years 12-week group programme for parents of children aged 4-11 years delivered both online and in person
• Personalised Individual Parent Training (PIPT) Intensive 1:1 support programme delivered over 6 sessions to parents and children aged between 4-8 years

NOTE: These programmes are referral-only.

Through the Positive Parenting Programme (Triple P) offer we have a range of workshops, drop-ins, groups, and programmes both face to face and on Zoom.                                                              
For parents of children aged 18months -13 years this includes:

• blogs and tip sheets available on our website and via our social media
  
• 1:1 Feeling Positive about Parenting Sessions- book a slot with a parenting practitioner to discuss any issues you have and look for solutions
  
• Triple P Discussion groups – find ways of managing situations through discussions with other parents; topics include Bedtime Routines, Managing Fighting and aggression, Hassle Free Shopping and Helping your Child Follow Instructions
• Triple P Group Primary – a 6 –8-week course for parents of primary school aged children that offers positive parenting strategies to manage behaviour
• Triple P Group Teen – a 6-week course that help prepare parents to raise teens

The HENRY Healthy Start programme helps parents give their children a great start in life, focused on a holistic healthy lifestyle. It covers five main themes - parenting skills, how we eat, what we eat, being active and emotional well-being.

Our OWL Babies course: During our OWL Babies courses families learn that outdoor adventures for babies' support and enhance their baby’s brain development, promoting attachment and atonement.

Our Baby Massage courses: Our evidence-based baby massage classes can soothe baby and help them to sleep. Massage has many added benefits for baby, including improving weight gain, aiding digestion, improving circulation, and easing teething pain. 

Supporting parents with ideas for home activities and dealing with challenges in the home: As part of our universal level support, we provide a wide range of sessions in our centres, as well as information and general signposting via website, phone, webinars, YouTube videos etc as well as a wide range of face-to-face sessions.  For details and current timetables see our website.

1:1 family support:
Our Family Practitioner Service provides 1:1 support to families facing difficult periods and challenges in their lives, through regular 1:1 support in the home and in the community to prevent problems escalating to more specialist services.  Support is focused on providing:

• help with immediate practical needs linking to local services such as food banks, medical support, local service and support agencies.
  
• access to Children and Family Centres and local services, particularly when isolated and/or new to the borough, including health services, SEN support, nursery and school.
• help to navigate systems and services to meet their needs, including support with form filling and online registrations (our centres can provide access to computers if needed)

This service is referral-only.

Domestic abuse recovery programmes: CODA is a twelve-week recovery intervention for any child, aged between 4 and 11 years, and mother who have experienced domestic abuse Running concurrently, CODA provides two-hour sessions for mothers and their children on a weekly basis. Each week covers a specific theme and programmes are divided into age-appropriate groups. Note: siblings cannot access the same group. 
There is an adapted programme available for children aged 11 years and above and EYA are currently also piloting the CODA programme to those under the age of 4 years, and accepting referrals for this.

The Freedom Programme is a twelve-week recovery intervention for women who have experienced domestic abuse. It provides women who are experiencing or surviving domestic abuse with a safe, supportive and friendly environment to enable them to recognise the tactics and behaviours of a perpetrator of domestic abuse and gives the opportunity to build connections with other women and reduce isolation.                                                                                                     
NOTE: Domestic Abuse programmes are referral only.

Contact details:

The EYA Referral form is downloadable as a word document from our website: Early Year Alliance
Referrals should be made to Lewisham.Secure@eyalliance.org.uk or you can also complete an online referral form. 

Courses and workshops are offered face to face or online and can be booked via the website: Lewisham Children and Families Centres. 

Current dates and times can be found on our current timetable.

Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (Lewisham)

Staffed by trained CAMHS Crisis Practitioners, the telephone line provides out of hours support and interventions, aiming to de-escalate crises, reduce A&E attendances and potentially reduce admissions and readmissions to hospital. 

The CAMHS Crisis Line’s key interventions are:

• Immediate crisis counselling support to children and young people in significant distress, offering a friendly and supportive voice during this time
• Risk assessment to ensure any advice or guidance given is appropriate and robust
  
• Help the child or young person engage in any safety plan they have formulated with their community teams
• Advice to parents and carers in relation to their child or young person, including reminding them of any plans put in place by CAMHS teams

Contact details:

If there are concerns about their deteriorating mental health and families would benefit from crisis support, advice and counselling, or professionals need support with young people in crisis, they can call 0203 228 5980. 

There is also an out of hours SLAM Crisis Line 0800 731 2864 (24 hour) which is available for residents of all ages.

If you have imminent concerns about the mental state or risk of a child or young person, please call the following:
Lewisham CAMHS Duty Worker on 0207 138 1250 (available 9am -5pm Mon - Fri)
CAMHS Crisis Line 0203 228 5980 (available 5pm-10pm Mon - Fri, 1pm - 9pm Sat-Sun)

Lewisham YOS Family Team (LYFT)

The LYFT team offer therapeutic intervention for families with a young person (aged 11-17 years old) where there is identified offending or risk of offending. The young person may also be struggling in school and at home.



Issues may include aggressive:

• Behaviour 
• School refusal 
• Negative peer association 
• Persistent antisocial behaviour
• Conflict within the family 
• Substance misuse.
• LYFT provides a systemic approach which involves the therapist working with the young person and members of their family.  

Therapy usually lasts from 5-8 months and involves weekly sessions which often take place in the family home, or in a location suitable for the family. Overall, the aim of the work is to reduce harmful behaviours in order to provide young people and their parent(s)/carer(s) with the opportunity to thrive. 

Behaviours is intended to have a positive impact on:

• Family conflict
  
• Family communication and connection
  

The emotional state and behaviour of young people and their parent/carers.

Contact details:

Tel: 0208 314 7474
Email: lyft@lewisham.gov.uk
Address: Lewisham Youth Offending Service, 9 Holbeach Road, London SE6 4TW

Families affected by drugs and alcohol

FEISMSP is a universal referral method for families affected by substance misuse.
Anyone is able to refer residents of Lewisham who wants specialist information and a targeted introduction to support offered by substance misuse services.

They provide support to a number of adults and young people:

• A parental cannabis group
  
• Support group offering alternative therapies to women who use drugs and/or alcohol
  
• Support for young people aged 11 and over who are affected by a parent or carer's substance misuse
  
• Support for young people aged 11 and over who are using drugs and/or alcohol or at risk of substance misuse
  
• Support for family members and carers affected by another person's alcohol abuse or substance misuse, including counselling and alternative therapies
• Support for parents who want to control their use of drugs and/or alcohol
  
• A peer support network and befriending service for parents who do not want to access treatment for alcohol abuse or substance misuse
• Support for parents who have a child using drugs or alcohol

Contact details:

Website: Families affected by drugs and alcohol 

SEND: Health and wellbeing for young people with Special Education Needs & Disability

Find out about health and wellbeing for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

• Aids, adaptations & equipment
  
• Children with disabilities, learning difficulties or life-limiting conditions
  
• Mental health & emotional wellbeing
  
• Health visiting service
  
• Care Co-ordination Service
• Information for parents of children with autism

Contact details:

Website: Health and wellbeing for young people with Special Education Needs & Disability

The Maudsley Centre for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders

If you are a young person, a parent/carer or a professional and have concerns about a child or young person, help is available through the Maudsley Centre for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders (MCCAED), which is based at the Maudsley Site in Denmark Hill.

MCCAED accepts referrals for young people up to the age of 18, who are registered with a GP in one of the seven boroughs in South London ((Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich and Croydon).

Contact details:

Advice can be obtained, and self-referrals made, 
Online: Maudsley Centre for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders or
Tel: 020 3228 2545 – clinical staff are available between Monday-Friday from 9-5pm. 

Before making a referral, please ensure that you have consent from the young person / parent and can provide up-to-date height and weight measurements. There is no need to pursue any investigations by the GP first.

Oasis Outreach & Support in South London

OASIS offer a package of care tailored to individual needs and goals, for a period of two years. A personalised care plan is developed with the service user and updated over time with their team.  

What we offer:

• A careful and detailed assessment of what you have been going through.
  
• A regular place to check in about your mental and physical health.
  
• On-going support from a keyworker for the duration of your time with the team.
  
• Individual talking therapy specifically tailored to your goals, with a Clinical Psychologist.
  
• Expert medical advice and consultation.
  
• Coping strategies to help make sense of and manage distressing unusual experiences.
  
• Practical advice around housing options and benefits that you may be entitled to.
  
• Support in taking up new opportunities such or getting back into work or study.
• Family sessions and carer support.

Criteria and eligibility
People between the ages of 18-35 and lives in Lewisham can self-refer if they are having difficulties with unusual experiences like:

• Hearing voices
  
• Seeing things
  
• Paranoid
• Noticing that thoughts are array

Contact details:

Tel: 0203 228 9300 Monday to Friday 9-5
Email: oasisreferrals@slam.nhs.uk
Website: Oasis Outreach and Support in South London
Address: 59 Cordwell Road, London, SE13 5QY

Family Thrive

Family Thrive is the targeted early help service in Lewisham, we have Family Practitioners who work directly with families, providing an intensive intervention over a 26 weeks period.  During this time, they will complete an Early Help Assessment (EHA) and facilitate an initial Team. Around Family (TAF) and Review Team Around Family.  During this intervention, families maybe referred to our Senior Therapists for a short-term therapeutic intervention to support with improving and developing positive relationships within the family, helping parents think about their parenting differently.  



Family Practitioners will work with young people and parents where there are mental health and emotional wellbeing needs to develop clear safety plans and support with strategies in improving and maintaining positive emotional wellbeing.
The Senior Therapist provides 6 to 8 sessions with families. 

Family Practitioner interventions are for a period of 26 weeks.  

• There needs to be a clear targeted parenting support need 
• Other challenges/issues within the family.

Contact details:

All referrals to Family Thrive are via Lewisham MASH (0208 314 6660)
Family Thrive, including the Early Help Coordinators, can be contacted via Duty: 0208 314 7333 / FamilyThrive@Lewisham.gov.uk
Our core hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.  

Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) – CRISIS CARE

Staffed by trained CAMHS Crisis Practitioners, the telephone line provides out of hours support and interventions, aiming to de-escalate crises, reduce A&E attendances and potentially reduce admissions and readmissions to hospital. 

The CAMHS Crisis Line’s key interventions are:

• Immediate crisis counselling support to children and young people in significant distress, offering a friendly and supportive voice during this time
  
• Risk assessment to ensure any advice or guidance given is appropriate and robust
  
• Help the child or young person engage in any safety plan they have formulated with their community teams
• Advice to parents and carers in relation to their child or young person, including reminding them of any plans put in place by CAMHS teams

Contact details:

If there are concerns about their deteriorating mental health and families would benefit from crisis support, advice and counselling, or professionals need support with young people in crisis, they can call 0203 228 5980. 

There is also an out of hours SLAM Crisis Line 0800 731 2864 (24 hour) which is available for residents of all ages.
If you have imminent concerns about the mental state or risk of a child or young person, please call the following:
Lewisham CAMHS Duty Worker on 0207 138 1250 (available 9am -5pm Mon - Fri)
CAMHS Crisis Line 0203 228 5980 (available 5pm-10pm Mon - Fri, 1pm - 9pm Sat-Sun)

South East London Care, Education & Treatment (SELECT)

Keyworker support will be provided to children and young people with learning disability, autism or both, who are mental health inpatients or at risk of being admitted to hospital, but it is envisaged that support will also be extended to those who face multiple vulnerabilities such as looked after and adopted children, and children and young people in transition between services. 
The Key working function is an important response to overcoming these issues, ensuring children and families get the right support at the time and that local systems are responsive to meeting their needs in a holistic and joined up way.


Key working support via SELECT is only available for CYP who are identified as Red or Amber on the Dynamic Support register.

Contact details:

Ian Sutton, Project Lead – CYP & Autism Focus, Learning Disability & Autism Partnership Programme, SEL CCG
Email: Ian.sutton@nhs.net

Positive Behaviour Support Consultancy (PBSC)

PBSC support children and young people (CYP) with a Learning Disability (LD) and/or Autism (ASD) in their family homes, reducing inappropriate admissions to hospital under the Mental Health Act, and preventing family and/or school breakdown, requiring a long-term residential placement.

Criteria:

• Under 18 years old
• On the Dynamic Support Register,
• Have a diagnosis of ASD and/or LD
• Live in SEL

They work with CYP who display behaviours of concern such as:

• aggression 
  
• self-injurious behaviours
  
• property destruction
  
• suicidal ideation 
• self-harm, 

Where previous interventions have not been accessible for the CYP or shown little progress. We can also support with: 

• toileting
• sleep 
• feeding 

Contact details:

Lauren Beadle, Service Lead and Behaviour Analyst: Lauren.beadle@pbsconsultancy.net
Website: Positive Behaviour Support Consultancy 

Families affected by drugs and alcohol

FEISMSP is a universal referral method for families affected by substance misuse.
Anyone is able to refer residents of Lewisham who wants specialist information and a targeted introduction to support offered by substance misuse services.

They provide support to a number of adults and young people:

• A parental cannabis group
  
• Support group offering alternative therapies to women who use drugs and/or alcohol
• Support for young people aged 11 and over who are affected by a parent or carer's substance misuse
  
• Support for young people aged 11 and over who are using drugs and/or alcohol or at risk of substance misuse
  
• Support for family members and carers affected by another person's alcohol abuse or substance misuse, including counselling and alternative therapies
  
• Support for parents who want to control their use of drugs and/or alcohol
  
• A peer support network and befriending service for parents who do not want to access treatment for alcohol abuse or substance misuse
  
• Support for parents who have a child using drugs or alcohol

Contact details:

Website:Families affected by drugs and alcohol