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North Cumbria Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) – Information for parents and carers

Published
12/02/2025
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Information for parents and carers about the North Cumbria CAMHS services in Workington and Carlisle.

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This leaflet may not be reproduced in whole or in part, without the permission of Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust

North Cumbria (CAMHS)

Information for parents and carers

  • Introduction

    This leaflet provides you with information that you may find useful about the service. If you are not sure about anything in this leaflet please ask a member of staff.

  • What is CAMHS?

    CAMHS stands for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. Often, when we are sad, angry or worried these feelings pass after a short time. But if your child feels sad, angry or worried for a longer time then CAMHS can offer help.

    CAMHS help children and young people aged 0-18 years who are finding it hard to cope with everyday life because of difficult feelings, thoughts, behaviour or relationships

  • Your first appointment at CAMHS

    Before you visit us
    After your child’s referral has been accepted by CAMHS, you will be offered an appointment to come and see us. This appointment is sometimes called an assessment.

    Before you visit us, it might be useful to discuss the appointment with your child and family so you can have a think about what you would like to talk about or what questions you would like to ask. It may be helpful to write things down so you
    remember.

    Mind have developed a list of questions you and your child might find useful to ask during the appointment:
    www.mind.org.uk/for-young-people/camhs/appointments-at-camhs

    You can bring someone along that you trust for support if you would find this useful.

    You may receive questionnaires to complete and bring to your first appointment. The questions relate to lots of different experiences and you may feel some of the questions are more applicable to your child than others. There is no right or wrong answer so just answer the best you can.

    If you do not know how to answer a question you can talk with your worker about this in your first appointment. Your child may also have a questionnaire to complete before the appointment.

  • Arriving at CAMHS

    When you arrive at CAMHS you will tell our receptionist that you are here.

    Once you tell them your child’s name, they will book you in and let the person your child has come to see know that you have both arrived. You will be asked to take a seat in the waiting room and you may sit there for a short time. We will then invite you into one of our rooms where we can talk.

    You may feel worried or nervous about coming to CAMHS for the first time, this is okay.

  • During your first appointment

    Families come to CAMHS for lots of different reasons. The first time you visit us we will want to get to know your child a little better and find out what problems they are experiencing.

    We may also ask things like who is in their family, how they are getting on at school and what their birth and early childhood was like. This will help us know how best to support you and your child. You can ask us any questions too.

    While we think it is helpful for parents and carers to be part of this discussion, we may spend some time talking alone with your child – this is completely routine and should not cause any concern.

    Your appointment will usually last 90 minutes.

  • Who will my child and I see?

    There are different types of professionals who you may see at CAMHS.

    Mind have made a list of the professionals who typically work within CAMHS so you can learn a little bit about their roles:
    www.mind.org.uk/for-young-people/camhs/who-works-at-camhs

    Sometimes we may ask if a student or a new member of staff can join the appointment. You can refuse this if you want.

  • Confidentiality

    Sometimes there may be things your child wants to talk about that they might not want you to know. In these cases, we will keep what they tell us confidential (private).

    If we are worried about your child’s safety or the safety of others then we would share this information with you though we would always aim to talk with your child about this first where appropriate.

  • What happens next?

    At the end of the appointment, we will talk through what happens next. It may be that we offer you another appointment to gain more information to decide how best to help.

    Sometimes we will advise you another organisation may be better able to help your child and we will support you to get help from them.

    If we feel that we are the best service to help your child then there may be a wait until you are offered support. We would ask that if you feel your child is getting worse to contact our CAMHS team manager to let us know.

  • If you need help urgently

    The Universal Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team (CRHT) are available 24/7 to support your child if they are experiencing a mental health crisis. They can also provide advice and support to your family.

    The service can be contacted on 0300 123 9015 or freephone 0800 652 2865.

    There is a text number for people who are Deaf and/or have communication difficulties: 07795 656 226.

    We would ask you to call 999 or visit your nearest A&E in case of an emergency.

  • Helpful resources

    • Kooth
      www.kooth.com
      Online free confidential counselling and emotional wellbeing service for children and young people.
    • YoungMinds
      www.youngminds.org.uk
      Provides information, support and advice on a wide range of mental health problems to young people, carers and professionals.
    • The Mix
      www.themix.org.uk/mental-health
      Information around mental health whether for yourself or someone you know, from anxiety and depression to self-care and counselling.
    • Bipolar UK
      www.bipolaruk.org
      A charity helping people living with bipolar disorder.
    • Samaritans – Telephone 116 123
      www.samaritans.org
      Confidential support for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair.
    • OCD UK
      www.ocduk.org
      A charity run by people with OCD, for people with OCD. Provides information, advice and support.
    • National Self Harm Network
      www.nshn.co.uk
      24/7 monitored forum for people who self-harm, and their families, to get support and offer advice to others.
    • F.E.A.S.T.
      www.feast-ed.org
      A global network for carers and families supporting a young person with an eating disorder.
    • Calm Harm
      A phone app providing strategies to help reduce the urge to self-harm at times of need.
    • Clear Fear
      A phone app providing strategies to help manage symptoms of anxiety at times of need.
    • National Autistic Society
      www.autism.org.uk
      Provides specialist support and advice to children and adults with autism and their families.
    • Winston’s Wish – Telephone 08088 020 021
      winstonswish.org
      A national charity that supports young people and their carers when they have experienced a bereavement.
    • Faceup2it
      faceup2it.org
      Provides information by young people for young people about consent and relationships.
    • Well at School
      www.wellatschool.org
      Provides advice to schools on supporting students with medical and mental health conditions.
    • Mind Ed
      www.minded.org.uk
      Online courses providing information to adults on a range of child mental health conditions.

     

  • Interpreters

    Staff can arrange an interpreter if you need one.

  • How to make a comment, suggestion, compliment or complaint

    If you want to make a comment, suggestion, compliment or complaint you can:

     

    We are always looking at ways to improve services. Your feedback allows us to monitor the quality of our services and act upon issues that you bring to our attention. You can provide feedback in the following ways:

    • the quickest way for you to do this is to complete our short online survey at www.cntw.nhs.uk/yourvoice
    • complete a Your Voice survey, available on wards, reception areas or from staff
    • other options for sharing your feedback and experience www.cntw.nhs.uk/yourfeedback

     

    Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
    PALS provide confidential advice and support, helping you to sort out any concerns that you may have about any aspect of your or your loved ones care.

    We act independently when handling patient and family concerns, liaising with staff, managers and, where appropriate, relevant organisations, to negotiate prompt solutions. If necessary, we can also refer patients and families to specific local or national-based support agencies.

    North of Tyne
    Telephone: 0800 032 0202
    Email: [email protected]
    Post: FREEPOST PALS

    9am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday

    An answerphone is available at all times for you to leave a message. A member of the PALS team will aim to return your call as soon as possible.

  • Contact us

    • Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) West Cumbria
    Park Lane Clinic, Park Lane, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 2RR
    Telephone: 01900 705 800

    • Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) East Cumbria
    Fairfield Centre, Carleton Clinic, Cumwhinton Drive, Carlisle CA1 3SX
    Telephone: 01228 603 017

  • Information about content, other formats and version control

    Further information about the content, reference sources or production of this leaflet can be obtained from the Patient Information Centre. If you would like to tell us what you think about this leaflet please get in touch.

    This information can be made available in a range of formats on request (Braille, audio, larger print, easy read, BSL or other languages). Please contact the Patient Information Centre on 0191 246 7288.

    Published by the Patient Information Centre
    2025 Copyright: Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust

    Ref: PIC/867/0225 February 2025 V5

    Website: www.cntw.nhs.uk
    Telephone: 0191 246 7288

    Review date 2028