Barnardo’s Healthy Minds Wiltshire

Barnardo’s Healthy Minds Wiltshire support children and young people with low mood, panic, stress, worry and low-level anxiety, problems sleeping, anger difficulties, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties with family/friends, relationship problems at school or in the community (including bullying), feeling overwhelmed by pressure e.g in relation to schoolwork.

We are a first line intervention who has links with Wiltshire CAMHS to best support the young people that we work with.

We work with children and young people aged between 5 – 18 across the county who are registered with a Wiltshire GP. This a wide age range so we are mindful of organising and running groups to help attendees engage to the best of their ability.

The service was commissioned pre-pandemic and began to take shape during the difficult times of COVID-19 (with all staff being recruited remotely!); we are now blossoming into our 3rd year as we move out of the other side of the pandemic.

The support we offer includes:

• Counselling – both in-person (in 4 main locations in Wiltshire) and remotely. Our counsellor/therapists are trained in the Barnardo’s C.S.S.O. Framework, developed by Dave Stewart, meaning that they work in response to individual needs and are informed by outcomes, personal strengths and the systems around the children and young people.
  
  
• Decider Skills Courses – based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) principles.  This course can help children and young people to develop coping strategies and skills to help them in life.
  
  
• Positive Activities – a myriad of fantastic experiences created and facilitated by our Early Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs). These are often based on ‘the 5 ways to wellbeing’ and take place in-person and remotely. This enables lots of ways for families to get involved and to benefit!

Referrals can be completed by young people, schools, GPs, parents/carers, or other linked professionals.

For more information please visit the Barnardo’s Healthy Minds Wiltshire website

You can also find us on Instagram @barnardoshealthymindswiltshire