Visit MidSpace for Midlothian’s online source of mental health and wellbeing information.

Please click the links for top tips for developing good mental health and emotional wellbeing for Children and Young People, Parents, and for Schools.

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Reaching Out

Police Scotland
Call 999 in case of emergency.

Midlothian Children and Families Service
0131 271 3413, or Emergency Social Work Service (ESWS) is open during out of hours: 0800 731 6969

Mental Health Assessment Service (MHAS) is an emergency service at the Royal Infirmary for anyone in a mental health crisis or in need of a mental health assessment.
0131 537 6000
https://services.nhslothian.scot/MentalHealthAssessmentService

Shelter Provides free and confidential advice on housing problems and rights. Or chat online. Shelter’s Free Housing Advice Line (8am – 12midnight):
0808 800 4444
https://scotland.shelter.org.uk/about_us/contact_us

Childline
Chat to a Childline counsellor online or on the phone between 9am-midnight. 1-to-1 chats are available online via the website too. Email support is also available.
0800 1111
www.childline.org.uk/get-support/1-2-1-counsellor-chat/

Shelter For anyone. If you are feeling distressed, in a state of despair, suicidal or need emotional support you can contact by email or phone. This is a freephone number and open 24/7.
116 123
jo@samaritans.org
https://www.samaritans.org/scotland

Rock Trust
For young people facing or at risk of homelessness. 1:1 work is being continued via online/ telephone and workers are available to offer advice and to arrange access to emergency support including food and toiletry parcels. Free sim cards and data packages for those needing support without access to money/wifi. Phone the number below between 9am-5pm during the week and ask to speak to the Duty team.
0131 557 4059
https://www.rocktrust.org/covid-19-update/

Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre
Specialist agency providing free and confidential support to survivors in Edinburgh and the Lothians. The ongoing COVID-19 restrictions have limited the centre’s capacity and the services available at this moment. However, this does not apply to referrals regarding recent assaults (in the past week).
support@ercc.scot
www.ercc.scot 
The National Rape Crisis Helpline is available from 6pm-12am (0888 01 03 02 / 07537410027 (text)).

Shakti
Support around domestic abuse, forced marriage and more for black, and minority ethnic groups – Women, children and young people will be supported through phone calls, WhatsApp and Facetime.
0131 4752399 (9am-5pm)
shaktiedinburgh.co.uk

Clan Childlaw
Deliver free, confidential legal advice to young people. Call the number below for help with any questions or enquiries about your rights and how the law affects you.
0808 129 0522
info@clanchildlaw.org www.clanchildlaw.org/

Sleep Scotland
Provides support to families of children with additional support needs and severe sleep problems. The information line is available Monday – Thursday 9.30am – 5pm, Friday 9.30am – 12.30pm and the freephone advice line is open Monday – Thursday 10am – 4pm;
0131 651 1392 (Information line), or 0800 138 6565 (Freephone Advice line)
enquiries@sleepscotland.org
www.sleepscotland.org

Enquire
Scottish advice service for additional support for learning. The telephone helpline is available 9.30pm-4.30pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, and 1pm-4.30pm from Wednesday to Friday.
0345 123 2303
info@enquire.org.uk
www.enquire.org.uk

Venture Trust
1-to-1 support and coaching still offered by phone for; wellbeing, employability support, advice, self-care, coronavirus support self-isolation support, self development and more. All face to face engagements are on hold but referrals still considered.
0131 228 7700
info@venturetrust.org.uk

BEAT
The UK’s eating disorder charity. They offer information and support and can be contacted on the helplines below.
Helpline: 0808 801 0677
Studentline: 0808 801 0811
Youthline: 0808 801 07118
www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk

Telephone Support

Childline

Children 1^st ParentLine

Do you feel like you’re at the end of your tether? Are you struggling to make ends meet? Children 1^st Parentline is here for you and your family. The helpline is available Mon-Fri, 9am – 9pm; Sat-Sun, 9am – noon.

Breathing Space

Confidential phone line where you can speak to someone from a mental health or counselling background. The number is Freephone and is available 24 hours at weekends (6pm Friday – 6am Monday) and 6pm to 2am on weekdays (Monday – Thursday).

LGBTQI+ Resources

LGBT Youth Scotland

For young people in the LGBT community. Live chat service will continue to run every Monday and Thursday from 6pm – 8pm. See the link below for the details.

Community Resources

Citizens Advice Bureau

Provides free, confidential, impartial and independent advice on things such as foodbank vouchers, money advice, benefits, housing, family problems, health services and legal rights. They are reviewing current government Covid-19 support to give up-to-date advice on what you might be entitled to. Find your local telephone on the link below.

Homelink

Home Link Family Support is a charitable organisation supporting families with young children in Edinburgh and Midlothian. If you have children under 5 we can support you by visiting you at home.

Kinship Care Midlothian SCIO

To support kinship carers who look after and care for their disadvantaged kinship children. The organisation’s primary aim is to continue to develop its own unique brand of services by delivering bespoke sensible projects, advocacy assistance and practical help/advice to our own peer group.

Midlothian Educational Psychology

Provides a phone consultation service, for anything who would like to talk to an Educational Psychologist. You don’t need to go to your GP or school first to access this service. It is available for children and young people, for parents and carers and for teachers and other professionals. You can discuss any concerns about a child’s emotional, social or learning needs. The child does not need to have previously been referred to the service. The phone consultation service is available on Thursday mornings from 10-12.

Midlothian Young People’s Advice Service (MYPAS)

Helps young people (aged 12 to 21) to deal with issues including: mental health and drug and alcohol use. Their information, support and counselling services are free, friendly and confidential. During COVID-19 restrictions MYPAS continues to offer support to young people by phone, text, email, online and socially distanced outdoor meetings.

Playbase

PlayBase aims to support all areas of a child’s development and offer broader learning through play experiences. During COVID-19 restrictions PlayBase is not currently receiving visitors but are providing access to resources; catalogues of available resources and more information can be found on their website

NHS Lothian Sexual Health

Healthy Respect+ clinics for young people offer advice, support and information on sexual health issues. The Dalkeith clinic is open Tuesdays and Fridays and appointments can be booked by phoning the number below.

Richmond’s Hope – Edinburgh & Midlothian

Provides support for children and young people aged 4-18 years who have been bereaved.

Salvesen Mindroom Centre (Formally known as Mindroom)

Offers practical and emotional support to parents of children and young people with learning difficulties. Families can self-refer through phone or email.

Sure Start

Sure Start provides a range of services through six centres and on an outreach basis, aiming to give young children the best possible start. Services include Counselling, Back to Work Project, Peer Support, Parenting Skills, Play therapy.

The Yard

A charity that runs adventure play services for disabled children and their families in the East of Scotland. Please be aware with the current COVID restrictions, the services that The Yard can offer may be limited. Please see the website below for the most up to date information.

VOCAL (Voices of Carers Across Lothian)

Provides advice and support for anyone who is supporting or caring for another individual.

Autism (ASD) Resources

Autism Initiatives – Number 6 One-Stop Shop

Number 6 is a service for autistic adults who fit the following criteria: 16 and over, do not have a learning disability, and live in the Lothians or the Scottish Borders. Number 6 provides free social opportunities and 1-1 advice and support on a range of issues.

Scottish Autism

An organisation dedicated to enriching the lives of autistic people. Run the “Right-Click” online training and information support for parents of young children and teenagers.

Cygnet Group

Cygnet Group Runs a 6 week parenting support programme for parents/carers of children aged 5-18 on the autistic spectrum run by Barnardos. For further information contact the number below.

St Clement’s Practical Autism

A series of videos on practical skills for supporting people with autism that can be viewed by searching ‘St. Clement’s Practical Autism’ on Youtube or using the link below.

University of Kent

Understanding Autism, the University of Kent A free online course to understand more about autism, including diagnosis, the autism spectrum, and life with autism with this CPD-certified course.

Open University

Understanding Autism, the Open University This free course introduces the autism spectrum, how it is experienced by different individuals and families.

SIGN

The SIGN website provides information about interventions as well as two booklets which can be downloaded. The links below will direct you to a downloadable booklet for with young people or parents/carers, explaining what autism is and providing support and advice.

Online Resources

Cyrenians

Help, information and guidance / support if you have conflict or difficult relationships at home.

Health in Mind

General mental health information, self-help resources and tips, support all available online:

The Mix

The Mix is the UK’s leading support service for young people. They are here to help you take on any challenge you’re facing: from mental health, money, from homelessness to finding a job, from break-ups to drugs. You can contact them through the online community, on social or the free, confidential helpline or counselling service.

Mind

Online tips and lists to enable you to look after your wellbeing by creating routines, staying connected, keeping active and keeping your mind stimulated etc.

Parent Club

Parent Club offers up-to-date guidance from the Scottish Government on your child’s health and education. It’s full of hints and tips from other parents and carers who’ve been there before. It also has advice to help you look after your own wellbeing and to point you in the direction of the support available.

Parenting Across Scotland

The website has useful information and provides a list of helplines available for parents. Contains list of parenting courses and classes, as well as general parenting classes online.

Sleep Scotland

Provides support to families of children and young people with additional support needs (including ADHD) and severe sleep problems. The information line is available Monday – Thursday 9.30am – 5pm, Friday 9.30am – 12.30pm and the freephone advice line is open Monday – Thursday 10am – 4pm.

Young Minds

Online young people specific mental health advice, support, information and resources. They have also put together some specific information on how to look after your mental health during further COVID restrictions.

Young Scot

Provides information, advice, tips, apps, reassurances and self-care/ wellbeing/ management of anxiety, worry or panic during crisis and coronavirus. All resources available online. .

Apps

Headspace

Headspace is offering free access to their resources during this time. Learn the basics of meditation and mindfulness to help you rest, sleep and move well using easy to follow resources.

Insight Timer

Free app with thousands of free meditation tracks, relaxing music, body scans, tension release, emotion management, activities and much more. Download the app ‘Insight Timer’.

Happify

Happify’s Science-based activities and games can help overcome negative thoughts, stress, elevate happiness and deal with life’s challenges.

Calm

Calm is the #1 app from Sleep, Meditation and Relaxation. It is the perfect mindfulness app for beginners and also has a section specifically suited for children and young people.

Moodnotes

Moodnotes is a mood tracker and journaling app to capture your mood and help improve thinking habits. It is grounded in CBT and positive psychology, empowering you to track your mood over time and increase your wellbeing.

NHS App ‘Feeling Good’

Free access to the app is given out usually by GP’s to help learn about and manage anxiety and low mood.
Referral user name – coboost1
Referral password – positive