This service is for children and young people aged from 4 to 18 years old (or up to 25 years old if they have special educational needs or are disabled). It offers evidence-based support in schools for children and young people who are experiencing mild to moderate difficulties including anxiety, low mood, and behavioural difficulties.

To access this service a young person needs to live in Brent, go to school or college in Brent, and be registered with a GP in Brent. Schools and GPs can refer young people to this service and families can also self-refer.

You can find out more about Brent WEST (including how to refer yourself) on the Brent council website.

This service is for young people aged 17 or under who have an eating disorder (or who think they might have an eating disorder). Your GP can refer you to this service; you can also self-refer by calling them. You can find out more on the CNWL website.

STRIDES offers mental health support to people struggling with their eating. At STRIDES, a team of trained clinicians help people to build the skills they need to regulate their eating, manage difficult emotions, and improve their body image in the long-term.

You need to speak to your GP and ask them to refer you to STRIDES. STRIDES encourages anyone who’s aged 18 to 25 and struggling with their eating to do this – you don’t need to be sure that you have an eating disorder, and if STRIDES isn’t the right service for you they can help signpost you to the right support.

STRIDES doesn’t work with people with high levels of medical risk relating to their eating disorder (for example, people who are severely underweight or who have abnormal blood test results because of their eating disorder). They work with Vincent Square Eating Disorder Service and GPs to make sure these people get the support that’s right for them.

Find out more about STRIDES on the CNWL website.

This service is for children and young people who are disabled, are looked after, or who are leaving care. Your GP can refer you to this service; you can also self-refer by emailing the service. You can find out more on the CNWL website.

This service is for people between the ages of 14 and 35 who are experiencing their first episode of psychosis. Your GP needs to refer you to this service. You can find out more on the CNWL website.

This service provides emotional and practical support to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young adults who live, work, attend school, or access services in Brent. Community Navigators work with you to help you reach your goals – they can offer help with wellbeing, benefits, housing, employment, education, and access to local services.

Local voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations work with CNWL NHS Trust to provide the service.

You can refer yourself, or a professional can refer you.

There is more information about the Young Adult Community Navigator Service (including contact details) on the CNWL website.

This service provides a range of talking therapies to people who are registered with a GP in Brent. You can get help in different ways, including: a self-help workbook with the support of a therapist; as an online course; through one-to-one appointments in person, over the phone, or through video; or as part of a group.

You can refer yourself to this service online. GPs and other professionals can also refer you.

There is more information on the CNWL Talking Therapies website.

This is a community drop-in service that offers friendly support to people who are experiencing crisis or mental health distress.

The Cove can support you to reduce your anxiety in the moment and make a plan to support your mental health (and reduce the likelihood of reaching crisis point again). They can offer advice and signposting, peer support, groups, and one-to-one support in a safe chill out space with a hot drink and snack.

You can drop in to the Cove when it’s open. You don’t need a referral or appointment, but other NHS professionals can refer you.

Find information on the Cove (including opening hours and location) on the CNWL website.

Brent Centre for Young People offers individual, group, and family therapy for young people in Brent* who are aged between 14 and 21. They can support young people with different things, including emotional and mental health difficulties (including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self harm, and low self-esteem) as well as young people who have had difficult life experiences (such as bullying, difficulties at school, and abuse).

Brent Centre for Young People also run ‘Sport & Thought’, which combines football coaching and group therapy, and the ‘Irish Project’, which provides specific support for young Irish people.

Usually, your GP needs to refer you to Brent Centre for Young People – you can’t refer yourself. If you go to one of the schools Brent Centre for Young People works in, a member of staff at school can refer you; if you’re attending the Brent Youth Offending Service, a member of staff there can refer you.

Find out more about Brent Centre for Young People on their website.

* Sometimes people from other boroughs will be able to access Brent Centre for Young People.

ELEV8 support young people aged between 10 and 25 who live or go to school or college in Brent. They support people who are struggling with their mental health; they also support people who want help with their drug and/or alcohol use. You don’t need a diagnosis to access support from ELEV8.

They offer a range of support, including one to one weekly keywork sessions, group workshops focusing on mental health and wellbeing, sexual health advice and information, and drug and alcohol support. They also introduce people to other support services and helpful activities and support families and professionals.

You don’t need anyone to refer you to ELEV8 Brent. You can get in touch with them yourself by calling or emailing them. Find out more about ELEV8 Brent on their website.

The Julian Campbell Foundation offers a mentoring programme for young people aged between 11 and 25 who are struggling to manage their mood or need some extra support to deal with emotional or stressful situations. You don’t need a diagnosis to be part of the mentoring programme. You can get in touch yourself by emailing them.

Find out more about the Julian Campbell Foundation on their website.

Bang have different projects that young people aged up to 25 can try. You can get in touch with Bang yourself through a form on their website; if you are under 14 a parent or guardian needs to complete the form with you.

Their projects include:

• Create Change, a creative therapy service. It matches young people with a qualified therapy for one to one or group sessions.
• Grow, a project that teaches young people about growing their own food in an urban environment.
• BANG Evolution (BE), a mentoring and coaching programme for young people aged between 8 and 18. Mentors help young people explore careers and set goals; coaches help young people improve their day to day life.
• YOUTH VOICE, where young people design, develop, and deliver youth activities across Brent.

Find out more about Bang on their website.

Mind offer a diverse programme of support, mentoring and coaching, training, and activities for young people who need support to develop and maintain positive mental health and wellbeing.

They offer support to young people aged up to 18 who go to a school they work with. There is a list of schools they work with on their referral forms.

The support they offer might not be suitable for all young people, including young people with an existing mental health diagnosis. They explain who’s included in this group on their referral form.

Most of the support they offer for children who are at primary school is delivered by working with parents and carers (with some contact with children), rather than working directly with the child.

You can get in touch with them yourself by filing out a form on their website.

Find out more about Mind in Brent, Wandsworth, and Westminster on their website.

Arts For Life Project is based on the Harrow and Hillingdon border, but accepts referrals from throughout London and surrounding areas.

Arts for Life Project offer one-to-one, person-centred therapeutic support for young people aged between 6 and 25. Anyone aged 16 and above can refer a young person through an online form.

Creative Crew is a weekly project for young people aged 6 and above who love the arts and are able to engage in a group setting. It allows young people to engage with the therapeutic power of the arts within a group. Through fun, relaxed activities, young people develop emotional intelligence and strengthen mental health. Anyone aged 16 and above can refer a young person through an online form.

Skills For Life is a course-based programme that helps young people aged 6 to 25 develop essential life skills, including technical, physical, wellbeing, and communication skills. Young people are put into suitable groups for the programme. Anyone aged 16 and above can refer a young person through an online form.

Together Thrive uses three different types of support to help young people aged 8 and above with complex challenges (including mental health concerns) progress back into society. It includes support at home, clinical therapeutic support, and mentor support. Young people aged 14 and above can refer themselves through the online form; parents and professionals can also refer through the same form.

The project also has programmes for parents and carers.

Find out more about Arts For Life Project on their website.

Family Friends UK offer a service called Big Buddies. A volunteer befriender supports a young people aged between 10 and 18 for a few hours each week (or fortnight) for around three to six months.

Young people have an equal voice in deciding how they want to spend this time. Some young people choose to try fun activities (such as sport or museum trips), get help with homework, get help with applications, or try new things.

Family Friends UK also offer family befriending, where a volunteer provides whole family support to a family experiencing multiple hardships. They aim to help families discover their strengths, build confidence, and resolve difficulties.

Find out more about volunteer befriending and how to access this service on the Family Friends UK website.

BOAT supports mainstream settings in their work with autistic young people up to the age of 19. It sometimes supports children out of borough if they have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan.

Any professional working with the child or young person can refer them by downloading a form from the website. Parents cannot make referrals.

Find out more about Brent Outreach Autism Team on their website.

Winston’s Wish offer one-off or ongoing advice, guidance, and bereavement support for young people up to the age of 25 (and their families). They have a helpline, which is open between 9am and 5pm on weekdays.

They also have online peer support groups (for young people aged between 7 and 12, for young people aged between 13 and 17, and for young people aged between 18 and 25, as well as for parents and carers), which are overseen by Bereavement Support Practitioners. They’re informal; young people can just go to one or keep going every month. You can get in touch and book a space on these yourself through the Winston’s Wish website.

Winston’s Wish also run drop-in sessions that give families and professionals the chance to to find out more about their services. These were suspended due to COVID but are beginning to restart. You can find details on the Winston’s Wish website.

Rescue and Response is delivered in partnership between four organisations and is funded across London by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime.

It involves one to one support, specialist support for young women, and family and housing support. The service includes a structured programme around topics like healthy relationships, violence against women and girls, identity and equality, trama, and safety planning. Professionals can refer through an online form.

Find out more about Rescue and Response on the Abianda website.

This service is for young women aged between 11 and 18 (up to 21 for care leavers) who have experienced (or are at risk of) any form of gendered violence, including domestic violence, sexual violence, child sexual exploitation, gang associated violence, forced marriage, and so on.

The service welcomes trans and intersex young women. It also welcomes non-binary young people who feel the service would best meet their needs and experiences.

They offer advocacy, group work, and counselling.

Find out more about Women and Girls Network.

Only Connect offer keyword support to people who are released from prison to help make the transition of leaving prison as smooth as possible. They support people with things like employment, housing, and opportunities to help them remain crime-free.

Find out more about Only Connect.

This service is designed to complement existing local services and fill gaps in provision. It provides traditional one-to-one, confidential support to young people aged between 16 and 24 who are associated with or involved in gangs and are at significant risk of harm from gang activity, or pose risk to themselves or others. They consider referrals outside the age range on a case-by-case basis. 

Find out more about London Gang Exit.

The Proud Trust is based in Manchester but has an online web chat. You can also use their website to find your nearest LGBT+ Youth Group.

Find out more on the Proud Trust website.

Young Roots supports refugees and asylum seekers in Brent* who are aged between 11 and 25.  They have some groups for young women only to provide a safe space for those who feel less comfortable accessing mixed-gender activities.

They run an advice and support hub with youth and sporting activities alongside one to one casework support, access to legal advice, and access to counselling. They also offer support with English language skills and trips for young refugees.

You can get in touch yourself through a form on their website. You can also email or phone them. Find out more about Young Roots on their website.

* and neighbouring boroughs

SAAFI stands for Somali Advice and Forum for Information. It’s a community-based organised led by British-Somali mums to help each other and their children for positive integration. They have extended their services for all communities for whom English is not their first language.

Find out more on the SAAFI website.

Freedom From Torture offers trauma-focused therapy to help with the effects of trauma, including complex trauma, depression, and other mental health needs. They also offer further services, including creative group activities, social groups, and physical therapy to help survivors rebuild their lives. They offer practical advice for survivors who are seeking asylum.

You can get in touch yourself by filling out a form on the Freedom from Torture website.

This project offers specialist advocacy support and counselling for Black and Minoritised young women* who have experienced (or are at risk of) any form of gendered violence, including domestic violence, sexual violence, child sexual exploitation, gang associated violence, forced marriage, and so on.

* This is defined as including BME, LGBT+ and Disabled young women. They welcome trans and intersex young women. They also welcome non-binary young people who feel the service would best meet their needs and experiences.

Find out more about CouRAGEus.

This service offers therapy for young people aged 4 and above. Therapists work with young people with art making, play, drama, and talking as appropriate to help the young person better understand their feelings and improve their self-esteem.

Young people must be living in a safe and stable enough environment – the perpetrator can no longer be living with the family (or in a relationship with the mother or carer) and any contact must be deemed to be safe.

There is a waiting list for referrals.

Find out more about Solace Children’s Creative Therapies.

This service offers confidential, one-to-one support for young people aged between 11 and 18 (up to 25 years old for people with additional needs) who use violence or abuse and want to change their behaviour and improve their awareness of healthy communication and relationships.

Parents, carers, and professionals can refer a young person. The organisation prefers referrals from professionals if possible.

Find out more about DVIP YUVA.

Brent Carers Centre provides information and advice. They can tell you about other services available in Brent and make referrals to other specialist services (such as legal or housing support).

You can get in touch yourself through email or phone. Find out more on the Brent Carers Centre website.

Honeypot offer a range of services to support young carers aged between 5 and 12, including respite breaks for children, social and emotional active learning breaks, online workshops, face-to-face workshops, and financial support through a wellbeing fund.

Find out more on the Honeypot website.

Freedom From Torture offers trauma-focused therapy to help with the effects of trauma, including complex trauma, depression, and other mental health needs. They also offer further services, including creative group activities, social groups, and physical therapy to help survivors rebuild their lives. They offer practical advice for survivors who are seeking asylum.

You can get in touch yourself by filling out a form on the Freedom from Torture website.

Brent youth zone is a website run by Brent Council. It has information about different activities in Brent, including sports, theatre, cadets, Scouts and Guides, music, libraries, youth clubs, cooking, and more. It also has information about work and learning, as well as information about services that can help with things like housing and money.

Find out more about Brent youth zone on their website.

If you live in Brent and are aged between 16 and 19 (or aged between 16 and 24 and have a learning difficulty and or disability) you can speak to a Careers Adviser about education, employment, apprenticeships, and training opportunities. You can book an appointment by phone or email.

Find out more about Brent Connexsio on their website.

Unique Community run community arts projects. Their main project is Brent Youth Theatre, an inclusive performing arts programme. They meet at different times to act, write scripts, and make music.

You need to apply for a place at Brent Youth Theatre – there’s an online form on the Brent Youth Theatre website.

Youth Voice is a monthly session for young people aged between 9 and 18. The sessions give young people the chance to meet with each other and try different activities.

Find out more and sign up on the Family Friends UK website.