Page 6 - Parent & Carer Support Information :: Portus

www.richmond.gov.uk/portus

Getting the right support for Consent for sharing information
your child. Your child can recover from their emotional distress
with the right support. The best support will include
Once you have discovered that your child is harming working together with other people.
themselves it is important to help them get support
for their emotional distress. The kind of help they Some parents may not want anyone else to know
will need will depend on their level of need. that their child is struggling with their mental
health, this is an understandable feeling because
Involve your child if possible and ask them who society is not as understanding about mental
they’d like you to talk to. If possible, get their
permission to speak to their school and GP to distress as it should be.
understand the best option of support. This guidance has been developed because we want
people to get the help they need to feel better.
If they won’t give permission, depending on their
age and the severity of the situation, you could give
them a bit more time, or you may need to say that It’s important to give your consent
you understand they’re not happy about this but to your GP and school so they can
you do need to get them some help. share information with the right
While it’s good to involve their GP and school, there people when supporting your child.
are other options including online support and
private therapy. (See some support options below
under Helpful Resources). Your school and GP will make sure you know
what information they will share before they
INVOLVING SCHOOL do this.

Many schools have access to psychological support
through the new Mental Health Support Teams
programme.
There are specific resources available to schools to
support them in making the best decisions about CAMHS
how to help your child.

If you want to speak to someone at
your school start with your child’s Friends GP
Head of Year, they will be able to put
you in touch with the best person to
help. We have included some links
below to additional information on
helping your child.

Family School

This toolkit contains a pathway specifically to help
your children’s school college and GP find the
right support.

Portus - A Safe Space - Self-harm and Suicide Prevention - Parent & Carer Support Information
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