How the service works

Who answers the phone?

The helpline service is run by five experienced and trained advisers. 

How do they help?

Helpline advisers explore callers’ concerns and provide relevant information. 
They can give details of local or national child and family support services and are able to make basic suggestions.  Advisers also send appropriate written information to inquirers from a variety of sources, including YoungMinds’ own range of publications. Information packs are specifically tailored to meet the needs of each caller.

What if the callers’ concerns are complex?

The needs of most callers are met by the helpline service. But some parents and carers who are coping with particularly complex situations need more time and expertise than the helpline service can initially provide. In that situation, we offer a telephone consultation with a professional adviser, a qualified mental health practitioner. 

The team of professional advisers includes psychologists, social workers, family therapists, nurses, teachers and psychiatrists.

How does a telephone consultation work?

The telephone consultation is arranged at a convenient time for the caller which can be during the day, evening or at the weekend. Advisers normally offer a one-off consultation lasting up to 50-minutes on the phone within seven days of the initial call. The aim is to help the caller find ways of managing their child’s difficulties.  Also, to help them become more confident in approaching and understanding the services of existing statutory and voluntary agencies. 

Nearly a third of callers to the helpline receive a telephone consultation.