Time for young people, The Children's Society

What is the drop-in?

The drop-in is our instant access, early intervention service. It is a space that children and young people can attend and receive support for their emotional health on that same day.No waiting lists, no referrals needed, just instant support from trained practitioners.

The spaces themselves have been designed to breakdown the stigma around accessing support for your mental health. We have listened to young people's feedback and chosen venues that create a cafe feel, rather than anything cold or clinical. As we are entirely young person led, sessions themselves can be built around the child's needs, meaning that the sessions can be artistic if the child is passionate about art or they could incorporate a range of interactive games that we have on offer. We offer a wealth of resources to support children and young people better manage their emotional wellbeing in a compassionate and non-judgmental space where they can feel supported, understood and valued.

Our Wednesday 4pm-7pm (please arrive before 6pm to access a session) drop-in service at Imagination Station offers a safe, welcoming space for young people to talk one-on-one with trained staff. Whatever you're going through, you won’t be judged — we’re here to help you understand your emotions, build healthy relationships, and feel more in control.

We don’t assess or diagnose, and we won’t make automatic referrals. If we’re ever worried that you or someone else might be at risk, we may need to speak to others — but we’ll always talk to you about it first.

Who is the drop-in for?

The drop-in is foranyone between the ages of 11-18 (we do offer support for up to 25-year-olds if they have special educational needs or come from a care leaver background). We have assisted young people with presenting issues such as anxiety, anger, self-harm, low self-esteem, emotionally based school avoidance and much more.

We can help you learn new skills and coping strategies — like managing panic attacks or improving sleep — and may suggest helpful online tools or other services if needed.

You’ll also find a space to relax and access useful resources. How do I support someone to access the drop-in?

Looking at our website is the best place to go for the most up to date information about where and when we are at a location. Once the young person has been supported to locate their nearest drop-in, it would be helpful if you could support them with completing a registration form (which takes under 10 minutes to complete and can be accessed via our website). This means that they would be able to be seen as soon as they walk into the drop-in space. However, if this is difficult for the young person or they want support from a practitioner in completing it, this is something we can help with at the drop-in. Contact Information

If you would like to find out more information you can call our service on 01135178000 and email us at [email protected] 

Please note thatwe are not a crisis service, and children presenting in crisis should contact CAMHS crisis line orcall 999 and seek medical treatmentfrom A&E. If you are feeling suicidal or in a crisis and feel like you can’t cope,speak to somebody straight away.