This page provides guides and resources for school's staff and children and young people's practitioners to know what is available for supporting children and young peoples emotional and mental health in Somerset.
For Young People and Families
Click on the flier to open in a new window
This flier has been developed for young people and families sharing national and local signposting to support and self help resources.
Please share with families and young people and include onto your website - Mental Health and Wellbeing Help for Children Young People and Families pdf
With thanks to Somerset Council Engagement and Participation Team for their design and development.
For school staff and practitioners
This information has been developed with support from Young Somerset, Somerset NHS, ICB, CAMHS, SPARK Somerset, School Nursing and Education.
Somerset Emotional and Mental Health Route Map - school age children & young people
The Somerset Emotional and Mental Health Route Map provides an overview of some of the key services and avenues for supporting the mental health and wellbeing of school age children and young people in Somerset.
There is a concise overview on page 1 and further details throughout the document, with various links and signposting to relevant information.
All information should be read alongside the eligibility criteria for each respective service.
You can use the online version below or download the Digital SEMH Route Map July 2026.pdf including service information by clicking on the poster below.
We also have a have On a Page SEMH Route Map July 2026.pdf suitable for print and display
Click on the + to the right of the titles below for service information
Universal Support - Training, Resources and Services
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Training, CPD and Staff Support
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There are wide ranging opportunities for staff development, with a mix of pre-recorded sessions, virtual offers and face to face training. This Training menu will have a variety of offers currently available, alongside the wellbeing training area and the EPS digital training offer where there are a range of recorded training videos. The SSE Training Portal hosts training offers for schools from a range of quality assured providers and includes the SMHL offer.
Every Senior Mental Health Lead (SMHL) in Somerset has the opportunity to join a fully funded peer supervision network, to promote the sharing of best practice, develop new knowledge and skills and problem-solve with others in a similar role. Additional supervision (group / 1-1) is available from the EPS as a traded offer.
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Somerset Children and Young People
Public Health website
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The Somerset Children and Young People’s Health and Wellbeing website (cypsomersethealth.org) is part of a universal offer with guidance and resources. This site also hosts the Mental Health Toolkit and a specific area supporting Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RHSE).
The Somerset Health and Wellbeing Framework is Somerset’s approach to supporting schools to develop an effective whole-school approach to health and wellbeing. It is based on the OHID and DfE 8 key principles and includes an audit tool and framework for strategic school development.
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Connect Somerset
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Connect Somerset is a partnership between Somerset Council, NHS, VCFSE, Education and many more.
By Connecting People, the partnership aims to increase early help for residents and families, through neighbourhood working, 100 community hubs and better data sharing to support professionals and target help. Connect Somerset
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School Based Support
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Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs)
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ELSAs are usually teaching assistants in school who have received training and participate in on-going supervision. ELSAs help children recognise, understand, and manage emotions to increase success. ELSAs plan and deliver individual (and small group) support programmes. We believe every school should have an ELSA and there is ongoing training and supervision programme.
For more information contact:
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Mental Health Toolkit
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The Mental Health Toolkit provides a range of information, guidance and resources across multiple aspects of mental health and wellbeing, e.g. self-injury, eating disorders and Emotionally-based School Avoidance.
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Directory of VCFSE (Voluntary, Community, Faith, Social Enterprise) Organisations
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COMING SOON
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School Nursing Service
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School nurses are public health nurses who will work with 5 to 19 year olds. Their primary aim is to improve the health and wellbeing of this age group and identify those who need early help. They can assist in managing interaction between health and education. The school nurse service also provides ChatHealth.
For more info, click here - School nurses
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Targeted Support - External Agencies
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Soluna by Kooth
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Soluna by Soluna by Kooth is an online platform to help young people with their mental health and wellbeing.
It’s a welcoming space for young people to safely explore their feelings.
Young people can anonymously talk to others their own age on moderated discussion forums, and chat to mental health professionals via messaging.
Soluna by Soluna by Kooth is a BACP-accredited digital mental health service and provided free through the NHS. Soluna by Soluna by Kooth
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Specialist Support (CAMHS)
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Offer support for: moderate to severe mental illness which includes
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Specialist Community Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
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anxiety-based disorders (OCD, social anxiety, panic attacks, phobias); depression; significant self-harm and suicidal thoughts/behaviours; ADHD; post-traumatic stress disorder. This service will also offer support for children and young people who have a co-morbid learning disabilities and/or autism spectrum condition.
Referrals can be made to CAMHS SPA by telephone 0300 1245 012
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or email:
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Provides brief interventions to young people when they are most
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unwell with a range of mental health difficulties, acute mental
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CAMHS Enhanced Outreach Team
(EOT) and Psychiatric Liaison
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distress, high levels of complex risk, self-injury, suicidal thoughts, and intent. Criteria for emergency assessment may include; symptoms of severe depressions with current suicidal thoughts and/or intention; severe psychotic symptoms. They work with
young people who are at risk of requiring hospital treatment. This
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may also mean that they are currently admitted to, are due to leave,
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or have just left hospital or a CAMHS inpatient unit.
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Children's Eating Disorder Service (CEDS)
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Provide support for eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and eating disorder not otherwise specified) with referrals screened on a daily basis for urgency. Emergency referrals seen in 24 hours; urgent referrals seen in 1 weeks and routine referrals within 4 weeks.
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Forensic CAMHS (FCAMHS)
South West
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A specialist team that aim to enhance support for young people that present a risk of harm to others (and likely put themselves at risk).
We provide advice, signposting and consultation to professionals, families and carers, in addition to some direct specialist assessment or interventions for complex cases.
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National Deaf CAMHS
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We are a specialist mental health team for deaf children, young people and their families and carers. We can help you if you are deaf or have hearing loss and you are finding it hard to deal with your emotions and behaviour. This means you might be feeling scared, fed up, angry, sad, confused, or depressed, or all of these at once.
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Somerset
Phoenix
Project
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A specialist service supporting children, young people and their families who have experienced childhood sexual abuse. We also support the professional development of the workforce across Somerset through consultation & training.
Our goal is to empower others to join us in mitigating the negative impact of child sexual abuse on the lives of children and families living in Somerset, so they can rebuild & thrive. Somerset Phoenix Project
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Did you know, Somerset Mindline is available for young people as well as adults?
