Our Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) is here to help children and young people up to 18 years old, and their families in North Tyneside.
Young people come and see us for lots of different reasons, such as:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Self-harm
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
You may meet several different kinds of professionals in CAMHS. All of our staff are trained in assessing children and young people, and some staff have additional specialist training. You will be told who you will be coming to see before you come and see us, and this may include a:
- nurse
- psychiatrist
- clinical psychologist
- social worker
- art therapist
- primary mental health worker
- CAMHS practitioner
Contact us
The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
Albion Road Clinic
Albion Road
North Shields
NE29 0HG
Telephone: 0191 219 6685
We are available 9-5 Monday to Friday.
If you require support outside of these hours please take a look at our other useful contacts.
Finding us
Below you can view a map that shows where Albion Road Clinic is located
Your appointment
Your first appointment with us will usually be a CHOICE appointment. The date and time of that appointment will be agreed upon with your parent/carer. The appointment may take the form of a face-to-face appointment in the Clinic at North Shields, A virtual online appointment, or a Telephone appointment. This initial appointment is to enable you and your parent /carer to share with us your concerns about your mental health. The appointment will be up to 1 hour in duration. We will sometimes need to agree on a second CHOICE appointment to help us to get a full understanding of the concerns you have and how they are impacting your life. We will have the information we received from your Referrer available to us at that appointment but it is really helpful to hear things from the family perspective. During the appointment, we will ask questions to help us to understand what is going well in your life and what is causing you a level of concern. We will ask you what you feel you want from the Service and will try to agree on some outcomes together. We will take notes of our discussion which will be kept on your confidential patient file. A letter will also be sent to your referrer at the end of the Appointment that outlines any agreed plans. If you are aged 16 and over that letter can be sent directly to you but if you are under 16 we will write to your parents instead. This will be agreed upon with you in the session. We will aim to offer you some time alone with the Therapist at that appointment. If you do not want to we will respect your choice.
Confidentiality will be discussed with you as part of the Choice appointment and will also be reviewed if you are transferred to a Specialist Team for further work.
- What is 'confidentiality'?
Your Therapist has a professional duty of confidentiality, it means that he or she must not disclose anything shared by you without your agreement.
- Are there any situations when confidentiality can be broken?
Confidentiality may only be broken where there is an identified risk to your health, safety, or welfare. Or where there is a risk to other’s health safety or welfare. This outweighs the right to privacy. The decision to break confidentiality will be shared with you and the reasons why.
We may also ask for your consent to contact school or other professionals to support us in understanding your needs.
- What is ‘consent’?
Consent means that you /your parents and carers agree to what is being proposed and understand the reasons for it. This will be based on adequate, accurate information being provided about what is intended in a format that the you/your parents/carers can understand.
- Outcome of your CHOICE appointment
There are a number of possible outcomes from your appointment :
- Further assessment and intervention from Specialist CAMHS – If it is agreed that you require further support through the specialist Service the Therapist will explain this to you in the session. They will talk you through the process that will take place to ensure that you receive the appropriate support.
- Further support via another professional service/agency is required. If it is agreed that your needs would be more appropriately met by another service your Therapist will explain this to you and talk with you on how you will be supported to access the appropriate service
- Further support via Guided self-help resources. If it is agreed with you and your Therapist that your presenting concerns would be best supported by using guided self-help resources your Therapist will support you in Accessing the appropriate resources for your needs (there are a number of links on this website).
If you have any questions prior to your appointment please do not hesitate to contact the service to discuss these. If you would like to see the clinicians before your appointment you can call us and we will give you the password to access the “Meet your CAMHS Team”.
Online consultation
Where appropriate you may be asked to attend a CAMHS consultation online via a video call.
Rather than travelling to your appointment, you go into the clinic’s online ‘waiting area’. We will be notified when you arrive and your clinician will join you when ready
You don’t need to set up an account and no information you enter is stored.
If you have been given an online appointment please click on the following link to start the consultation at your appointment time – online consultation
- What do I need to make a video call?
- A good connection to the internet
- A private, well-lit area where you won’t be disturbed during the consultation
- One of the following- Google Chrome web browser or Safari web browser
- Web-camera, speakers and microphone already built into your laptop or mobile device
- Is it secure?
Video calls are secure, your privacy is protected. You have your own private video room that only authorised clinicians can enter.
- How much does a video call cost?
- The video call is free (except for your internet usage)
- You don’t use any data while waiting for a clinician to join you
- A video call uses a similar amount of data to Skype of FaceTime
- If you’re using a smartphone or tablet, if you can, connect to a home or work Wi-Fi network to avoid using your mobile data allowance
Bringing someone to your appointment
It is very important to us that you feel supported throughout your treatment. You can bring who you like to your appointments, however it’s often helpful for your family or carers to be involved. You will also have the opportunity to speak to staff on your own.
In confidence
Everything you say to a member of staff will be confidential, unless they feel you or anybody else is in danger of being harmed. If this happens, your CAMHS worker will talk to you about who they need to tell and what details will be shared.
If you would like to know more about privacy/confidentiality/consent/capacity please follow the link http://mycamhschoices.org/
Advocacy
- What is an advocate?
An advocate is a person who works with you on a problem until it is sorted out. Once the problem has been sorted out, the advocate will stop working with you. Advocates often work this way because lots of different people need the help and support of an advocate.
We aim to empower vulnerable people to have their voices heard, to be properly involved in their own care, to have information about their rights and to access the services they need. Our charity aims to continuously deliver high quality advocacy services that are accessible, responsive and appropriate to the diverse needs of different client groups.
Advocacy provides the support someone needs to express their views, to communicate their choices and to participate in decision making. It can enable people to take more responsibility, have choices and control over decisions that affect their lives. It promotes individuals’ overall health and wellbeing by increasing self-determination and on a larger scale helps to promote social inclusion, equality and social justice.
At Independent Advocacy we assist the person to look at options and to be part of the decision-making process. We can help with: care plan assessments, support plans, reviews of care and safeguarding enquiries or assessments and reviews. We can also help with various issues and concern such as housing, complaints, family, etc.
- What an advocate does
- An advocate is someone who can help you to speak up.
- Advocates listen to you and help you to explain yourself.
- Advocates can speak on your behalf if you want them to.
- Advocates will not tell you what to think or say.
- Advocates can come with you to important meetings.
- Advocates can find the right people to help you.
- Advocates can help you to be treated fairly.
- An Advocate will be on your side, not anybody else’s!
Treatment
The type of treatment we provide can vary depending on why you are with us. Some of our treatments include:
- Individual talking therapies including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), solution focused therapy, art therapy
- Behavioural therapies including support for parents with behaviour management strategies
- Group therapies including Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
- Medication may be available to treat some problems
How to access the service
You can be referred to our CAMHS team by a range of professionals including GPs, social workers and public health nurses in schools.
If you are a health or educational professional, or a social worker, and are concerned about a child you can refer them directly into our service. Please see our accessibility criteria and referral form below:
Support and advice relating to coronavirus
These are confusing, stressful times for all of us. As the coronavirus pandemic affects numerous areas of our lives, it also impacts each person in different ways. Feelings of anxiety and uncertainty are completely normal during times like this.
We wanted to provide you with some information and resources to help you deal with this difficult time. Please see our advice relating to Coronavirus/Covid-19 for children, young people and families and advice relating to Coronavirus/Covid-19 for children, young people and families living with Autism Spectrum Condition below:
Young people aged between 11-25 in the North Tyneside Area can access, Kooth, which provides online mental health and wellbeing support, via any internet accessible device. Kooth provides an opportunity to interact in a supportive way with other young people, as well as receive support from a qualified counsellor, who are available from 12pm until 10pm on weekdays, and from 6pm until 10pm, 365 days a year.
Workshops
At CAMHS, we run a number of workshops on a range of mental health topics. These are primarily aimed at parents, carers, or any adults working with a young person with these difficulties. As we know, for young people with mental health difficulties, it makes a really significant impact when those around them have a better understanding of their experience. For a lot of children, this is one of the most helpful interventions they can get. We hope that these workshops will help you support a young person in the way that they need, and give you the confidence to keep developing strategies to help them achieve their potential.
We had previously run these workshops face to face, but have worked on recording them so they are available online and accessible to a greater number of people, with the idea that the more people understand these difficulties, the better supported a young person will be by those in their environment. Some workshops have an accompanying handout for viewers to look through, so we encourage you to explore these in your own time. We hope that the information in these workshops becomes widely understood by those working with young people, so please feel free to share this website link with anyone who might benefit.
SUBTITLES: If you would prefer to watch the workshops with subtitles, please click the link at the top of the video. This takes you to YouTube, where you are able to add closed captions by clicking the CC button in the bottom right hand corner.
Thanks for watching.
We have a brief evaluation form for our workshops here, which takes a couple of minutes to complete. We are grateful for your feedback so that we can ensure we are delivering the best service we can.
- Attachment & Adverse Childhood Experiences
Attachment and ACEs Accompanying Handout
Watch our Attachment & Adverse Childhood Experiences workshop, presented by Victoria Gill, senior CAMHS practitioner.
To view the video clips inserted, please click here:
- What are the effects when opportunities for social engagement are restricted:
- Resilience is a KEY factor that supports long terms and maintained change:
- Autism and Anxiety Workshop
Watch our Autism and Anxiety workshop here:
To view the video clips inserted, please click here:
- Tics Workshop
Watch our Tics workshop here:
- Low Mood and Depression Workshop
- Anxiety Workshop
- Managing Difficult Behaviour Workshop
- ADHD Brain Workshop
- Understanding Autism
- OCD Workshop
Simpsons example – https://youtu.be/xSVqLHghLpw
OCD is not me – https://youtu.be/_LGHSuB_-bk
What is CBT? – https://youtu.be/9c_Bv_FBE-c
Resources for Carers, Professionals and Young People
There are a number of resources (downloads, websites, books, and videos) that we frequently direct families and schools to, so we have added many of these to this section so they are accessible for everyone.
- Self Help strategies and tools: anxiety, low mood, OCD, anger and many more
The use of many therapeutic tools requires the support of a qualified therapist. However, we also know that adults at school or at home having some knowledge and understanding of common therapeutic techniques is invaluable for someone who is learning how to implement these strategies in their day to day life. As the saying goes ‘the real work happens between the therapeutic sessions’.
- Therapist Aid https://www.therapistaid.com/ – This website explains what kind of techniques we might use with people experiencing different difficulties, and why they might help.
- Centre for Clinical Interventions https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Overview – This website includes a wealth of resources on different mental health topics, and suggestions for how to support yourself, or someone else experiencing difficulties.
- Get Self Help https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/selfhelp.htm – This website includes lots of ideas for self-help based around a cognitive behavioural approach (a very commonly used therapeutic approach), and also tools for managing anxiety, anger, phobias and many more.
- We heart CBT https://weheartcbt.com/#c614987e-8549-409b-b28a-8631548bb755 – Information sheets, diaries, and activities designed to help people spot patterns in their thoughts and behaviours, and support understanding of these.
- AnDY Research Clinic https://research.reading.ac.uk/andy/resources/resources-parents/ – Resources and information for parents, including topics such as E-safety, and tips for active listening
- The Chaos and the Clutter https://www.thechaosandtheclutter.com/archives/helping-child-fight-flight-freeze-mode A great explanation of Fight Flight or Freeze response to anxiety, and if you follow the link for ‘calm down skills’ there are tips on creating a calm down kit for anxiety (similar to the emotional toolkit listed under general resources
- Adults who support a child/young person
- CAMHS Resources – This website has a number of resources on a range of mental health topics, including books, websites, apps, videos, and downloads (including self-help guides).
- Recovery College – Providing a range of online educational courses and resources to people with experience of mental health issues.
- Anna Freud Centre – Information about a range of mental health topics and advice/sources of support, including podcasts and resources
- Medication Information – Information for Parents/Carers children and Young People on Medications that are used in CAMHS
- Support for families through divorce, bereavement and children’s behavioural problems – https://www.actionforchildren.org.uk, http://www.nfm.org.uk, http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk
- Childline – Support for family members when someone in the family has a mental health problem
- Resources for Young People
- CAMHS Resources – camhs-resources.co.uk – This website has a number of resources on a range of mental health topics, including books, websites, apps, videos, and downloads (including self-help guides).
- Information about different treatments in the booklet ‘Choosing What’s Best for You ’ – download from the Anna Freud Centre
- Anna Freud Centre – Information about a range of mental health topics – advice, your rights, ideas to improve things – https://www.annafreud.org/on-my-mind/
- Free and confidential telephone support servicefor children and young people: ChildLine childline.org.uk 0800 1111
- Information and advice for young people aged 13 to 19 Connexions, connexions-direct.com
- 24-hour confidential emotional supportto anyone who is in crisis Samaritans samaritans.org.uk 08457 909090
- Information about drugs and where to get support:Ask Frank talktofrank.com
- Minded for Families – information on common issues and problems such as: anger, aggression, sleep difficulties, flash back, trauma, bullying and more visit Minded for families-common problems
-
- Young Minds FREE Parents helpline providing confidential expert advice Young Minds Parents Helpline
- General Resources
Managing Challenging Behaviour
Ross Greene (Clinical Psychologist specialising in challenging behaviour) has a website with a number of resources and videos on this topic. He’s also written several books, most notably ‘The Explosive Child’, and ‘Raising Human Beings’ for families, and ‘Lost at School’ and ‘Lost and Found’ for educational professionals.
Working memory difficulties information and advice The Impact of Working Memory Difficulties on Learning (melbournechildpsychology.com.au)
Further information and strategies for parents and teachers regarding working memory
Feeding Advice for Children – provided by North Tyneside Children’s Occupational Therapy
- Anxiety
- ADHD
Anxiety in ADHD Information for Parents
Learning Problems in ADHD Info for Parents
Low Mood in ADHD Info for Parents
ADHD Foundation – Resources, including guides for parents and teachers on managing ADHD
ADDitude Mag – Articles on all things ADHD
How To ADHD – YouTube channel ‘How To ADHD’ has a number of helpful videos on understanding the condition. This channel is American, and so some of the diagnostic terms may vary slightly, but the information is relevant to anyone with, or supporting someone with ADHD.
ADHD Siblings Leaflet – ages 11+
ADHD Siblings Leaflet – under 11 years
- Autism
Effective Teaching Practices for Students with ASD
North East Autism Society (NE-AS) Autism Acceptance Conference 2021 videos– Autistic speakers talking about a range of topics, including mental health, Autistic Identity, and the verbal spectrum
NeuroClastic – ‘The Autistic Spectrum According to Autistic People’ has articles on a range of topics, including school, family life, and self-help, and is a useful source for understanding some of the first-hand experiences of Autistic people.
Sibling Autism Leaflet – younger children
Purple Ella – This is a YouTube channel run by a woman with Autism and ADHD, and she has a lot of videos on the topic of Autism, and her and her family’s experiences of being Autistic.
- Attachment and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES)
Attachment and Trauma resources – This list has been compiled by the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, and is a really helpful directory of places to start when learning about attachment and trauma.
UK Trauma Council – For further information and explanations of trauma, and advice for working with young people who have experienced adverse life events.
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) network – This website has a number of helpful resources explaining what DDP is, when it might be used, and the principles of it that can be applied to everyday parenting/interactions with a child
Parenting in the Moment – A nice brief explanation of how to manage difficult emotions when they’re happening with a child/young person.
Using PACE in Schools – PACE is an approach developed by Dan Hughes, creator of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, to support children and young people who have experienced difficulties related to attachment or adverse experiences. This document details how teachers and schools can reflect this approach with children and young people.
- Sleep
- Cerebra Sleep Charity
- Sleep Scotland
- Sleep and Autism
- Sleep and ADHD
- Sleep for Teens
- Parent course on Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASCs)
We have launched a BRAND NEW course at Recovery College Online!
Our new online resource ADAPT (After Diagnosis of Autism Parent support Training) is for parents of children and young people who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC).
Co-produced by York CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) and CYC (City of York Council) Specialist Teaching Team for Autism in York, the resource aims to increase parent’s understanding of the diagnosis of ASC and how the diagnosis impacts on family and school life. Topics covered include:
- Receiving a diagnosis
- Autism at a brain level
- Language and communication
- Visual supports
- Understanding and managing behaviour
You will need to create an account in order to access this course. We have done this, and written a step by step guide for you to do this (it should take approx. 10 minutes).
- Click on this link – www.recoverycollegeonline.co.uk/
- You will need to create an account to access this course. Do this by clicking ‘login’ in the top right hand corner of the page
- Search ‘ADAPT’ in the search bar – click on the course titled ‘ADAPT – After Diagnosis of Autism Parent Support Training’
- At the bottom of the page there will be a message saying ‘guests will need to create an account to access this course’ – click the button to create a new account.
- Enter your details (make a note of the username and password – you will need these to login)
- Click ‘continue’ at the bottom
- Again, search for the ADAPT course in the search bar, click on it, and click continue – this will take you to a page which asks you to login – enter the details from step 5.
- Confirm your account via email (we waited about 10 minutes for this email to come through – remember to check your junk mail)
- Now you should be able to access the course – there will be a button at the bottom of the course page that now says ‘enrol’ – once you click this it will take you to the course.
credit: Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust)
