Mental health support for children and young people

In Kent and Medway, as of the end of February 2025, 89 per cent* of children referred for specialist mental health support waited fewer than 18 weeks to start treatment.

Not all children experiencing distress require specialist mental health support. There are Emotional Wellbeing Teams/Emotional Support Teams in half of Kent and Medway’s schools, and they’re a good starting point for seeking advice.

There is a school health offer provided in Kent by Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust and in Medway by Medway Community Healthcare.

Most primary care networks (PCNs) have children’s social prescribers and mental health practitioners who can add their support and signposting.

Kooth’s digital offer for 10 to 25-year-olds includes a live text chat function, message boards, self-guided learning, and journals. Children and young people can sign up whenever they want to.

In Kent and Medway, children’s mental health is a shared priority, and we all work together to support our young people.

NELFT (North East London NHS Foundation Trust) is the current Kent and Medway NHS provider of specialist children and young people’s mental health services. There is a perception that waiting times are longer than they are (perhaps because of long waiting times for neurodevelopmental diagnostics), but our specialist mental health access remains on track.

We do hear sometimes that families and professionals think there is no point in referring children for specialist mental health support because the waiting times are years, rather than weeks. This is not the case. Please continue to refer children to specialist mental health support where appropriate.

Here is a list of services and resources with further information.

*Data source: NELFT CYPMHS performance data