New peer support for parents of young people who self harm

Warwickshire County Council, in partnership with Kaleidoscope Plus Group, have recently launched a new peer support service aimed at parents of young people who self-harm or have thoughts of suicide. As part of the service, parents will be signposted to other services, who can support both the young person and/or families.  

Self-harm in young people is a large and increasing problem in the UK, with an estimated 10-15% of young people self-harming at some point during adolescence. Between April 2019 and March 2020, 125 under 24s attended Coventry and Warwickshire A&E with a self- harm flag; in the same period, 853 under 24s were admitted to Coventry and Warwickshire hospitals because of self-harm.  

The groups will be held twice monthly, and sessions will be offered both during the day and evening. The objectives of the service will be as follows:  

• offer support to parents of young people who self-harm, living in Warwickshire 
• bring together those people who have shared experiences of looking after a young person who self-harms, and to support each other in an informal setting 
• provide a safe space where individual(s) feel understanding and are supported and will treat personal experiences with equal importance 
• support parents to understand their child and learn how to support their child 

Referrals to the service can by both by a professional or parents / carers self-referring, as follows: 

Professionals : Referral link https://forms.office.com/r/PdZ1TduB1n  

Parent/Carers: Referral link https://forms.office.com/r/PdZ1TduB1n or Email: SPPARK@Kaleidoscopeplus.org.uk /Phone:07970040016.