About our mental health services (CAMHS)

While we all have difficulties from time to time, our mental health support service is here to support those young people whose difficulties are very distressing and/or seriously interfering with daily life.

We’ll work with you and your child to help reduce the impact these difficulties are having on your lives.

Your key worker or Care co-ordinator

A Key worker or Care co-ordinator is a named person who looks after the overall plan of care and support of a young person. Young people and families can contact their key worker or care co-ordinator to talk about their care. They will look at a young person’s plan every now and again, to check that it’s still the best approach and help keep young people safe, and talk to other professionals who are involved in a young person’s care.

We try to be flexible on where your child is seen and who they are seen by. This sometimes might delay when they’re seen. Staff members will explain who they are as well as what they can and cannot do.

We encourage your child to take an active part in their treatment and express their opinions throughout their time at CAMHS. We’ll provide accurate, appropriate and simple information to help you and your child make choices about care and support. We’ll also provide information about the nature of their difficulties and where to obtain additional information.

Our staff follow guidelines when gaining consent for treatment and to make sure that everyone is well informed of their rights and how your child’s privacy is protected. We’ll explain the possible choices if you don’t agree.

Appointment letters

Appointment letters are digital. You’ll be able to receive a text message with a secure link to your appointment information and be able to confirm or rebook with just one click. 

We work as a team of mental health professionals and find we provide the best care when we all work together. We won’t discuss information with other people without permission, unless this was specifically related to ensuring your child’s or another person’s safety.

As an NHS service, we regularly send copies of our letters to your child’s GP, or write to them directly, to keep them informed of any mental health needs. If you’d rather your GP wasn’t kept informed, you or your child can discuss this with us.

We're part of a network of CAMHS professionals dedicated to supporting children and young people with their mental health needs. This includes schools, local authorities and GPs.

If you're having mild or moderate difficulties (such as mild depression, moderate behavioural difficulties, school refusal, family relationship difficulties, enuresis, encopresis), there are a number of services across Berkshire that can provide support.

Select your locality to find out what alternative services are available in your area from your Local Offer:

• Reading
• Wokingham
• West Berkshire
• Slough
• Bracknell
• Windsor & Maidenhead