To help us improve our wellbeing, the Make Time campaign asks us to think about and act on the five questions below:

• When was the last time you laughed until you cried?
• When was the last time you got up and out?
• When was the last time you noticed things around you?
• When was the last time you tried something new?
• When was the last time you made someone smile?

You can join the Make Time discussion. Just post on social media to show people how you Make Time to boost your mood. Posts can be tagged with #maketimewarrington.

Make Time is based on the Five Ways to Wellbeing, simple actions that can help us to feel good about ourselves. Research has shown that people who regularly include the Five Ways to Wellbeing in their daily lives are more likely to feel positive. The Five Ways to Wellbeing, which underpin Make Time, are:

• Connect: spend time with people who are important to you.
• Be active: at a level that suits your mobility and fitness.
• Take notice: be more aware of the world around you. Be curious.
• Keep learning: try something new or different, start a new hobby.
• Give: do something thoughtful for someone else, or volunteer your time. On the kindness and mental wellbeing page, you'll find ideas for small, kind acts which could boost your own and others' mental wellbeing.

The Make Time campaign prompts us all to think about what we currently do that makes us feel good and how we might fit more of the Five Ways to Wellbeing into our daily lives and so maintain or improve our mental wellbeing.

YouTube has a short animation, produced by Rochdale Borough Council, explaining the Five Ways to Wellbeing.

The Mental Health Foundation (MHF) has pages explaining how doing things for other people can improve your mental wellbeing. (This links to "Give", from the Five Ways to Wellbeing). 

Make Time resources 

You can download the following Make Time resources:

• Make Time prompt sheet (PDF) 
  This is a full colour, double-sided, A4 resource, which encourages people to think about what they do now to feel good about themselves, and what else they might do. It can be used in 1-1s or people can fill it in themselves. The Make Time prompt sheet, is clear, colourful and explains the Make Time campaign without using jargon.
  
  
• Make Time 5 image sheet (PDF) 
  This is a full colour, single-sided, A4 resource, with text explaining each of the Make Time questions. The sheet also includes an image for each question.

Make Time word searches
There are three Make Time word searches, each encourages people to focus on one of the Make Time questions. The Connections and Activity word searches include an explanation of Make Time, while the Take Notice word search has information about mindfulness and how it can help improve mental wellbeing.

You can download the word searches and their answers, from the links below:

Make Time connections word search (PDF)
Answers to connections word search (PDF)

Make Time activity word search (PDF)
Answers to activity word search (PDF)

Make Time take notice word search (PDF)
Answers to take notice word search (PDF)

Free hard copies
Free hard copies Make Time materials are available. You can download a form to request paper resources, from the order form page.

Resources available on loan
Make Time pull up banners are available on loan, to book a banner please email resources@warrington.gov.uk.

Social media posts
If you'd like to promote the Make Time campaign on social media, you can download suggested wording for online posts (as a Word document) here.

This arts and wellbeing service offers a range of activities to help Warrington residents (aged 18 and over) to improve their health and wellbeing. The face to face activities usually offered include drama, drawing, media, music, sports, painting, photography, Read to Relax and walking groups. You can refer yourself into the groups, or can be referred by a health or social care worker.

During the COVID-19 pandemic Creative Remedies' staff have been posting arts tutorials on Facebook. The videos cover a range of subjects such as photography, guitar lessons and art activities.

Creative Remedies is Warrington's arts and mental health initiative. You can find more details about Creative Remedies' work here.

The “podcasts for your wellbeing” page on this site offers a variety of free podcasts focusing on different aspects of wellbeing. The areas covered include wellbeing and sleep, relaxation, nutrition, exercise and positive thinking. 

Visit the Mental Health Foundation's website

This page offers a range of short audio relaxation exercises. The exercises focus on wellbeing through breathing, visualisation, progressive muscle relaxation and candle gazing. You can choose between a male and a female voice.

Visit CNTW NHS Trust's website

Mind's site includes a five minute video on relaxation for mental wellbeing. There is also a range of PDF booklets, which you can download free, these include:

• A booklet on "How to improve your mental wellbeing"
• A booklet on "Relaxation"

Activity scheduling is a simple CBT technique, which can help make your week more structured and satisfying. The aim of activity scheduling is not to fill every day, but to get a balance of different activities throughout the week, including pleasurable, social, physical and necessary activities. Activity scheduling can be particularly useful for people experiencing depression, or anxiety. You can download a PDF of the BBC's activity scheduling sheet.

This website offers a range of CBT self-help resources, which can be downloaded free. The resources include worksheets, information sheets and MP3 files.

Visit Get.gg’s website

This site offers free online CBT-based, life-skills courses to help you to work out why you feel as you do; to tackle your problems; to build confidence; and to feel happier. You can also download free worksheets from the site, including planning sheets, worry strips and an anxiety diary sheet.

Visit Living Life to the Full’s website 

This site has a range of clear, easy to read, self-help booklets which are based on CBT. The booklets cover different aspects of mental wellbeing and mental health problems; they are available in a variety of formats; and can be downloaded free. There is also a free app for iPhone, iPad and Android, which allows you to access the full range of self-help booklets.

Visit CNTW NHS Trust's website

This site, which was developed by the Mental Health Foundation, has information on:

• What mindfulness is 
• Finding a mindfulness teacher 
• Learning mindfulness online 
• Mindfulness training for health care and work places 
• Evidence and research 

Be Mindful’s online mindfulness course costs £30, but the first session is free, to help you decide if it’s something you’d like to learn more about.

The site also has:

• a three minute mindfulness breathing exercise
• a PDF booklet "How to look after your mental health using mindfulness"

Visit Be Mindful's website

This site has short podcasts, with suggestions for practising mindfulness when doing the routine activities of brushing your teeth, eating a satsuma, standing in a queue and walking.

This charity has a number of pages focusing on mindfulness. These include a free PDF booklet on how to practise mindfulness; how mindfulness can help with mental health problems; and tips for taking a mindful moment in nature.

The information about mindfulness on this site covers:

• What mindfulness is 
• How mindfulness helps with mental wellbeing 
• How to be more mindful 
• Different mindfulness practices 
• Tips on wellbeing

Visit the NHS website

This site has a short audio exercise on mindful breathing. The exercise lasts about three minutes and is available in both a male and a female voice.

Visit CNTW NHS Trust's website

These free weekly reading groups aim to improve wellbeing and reduce isolation. The Read to Relax groups bring people together to read, have a cup of tea and a chat. Group members are read to, so they can just sit back and listen. There are currently four Read to Relax Groups running in LiveWire's libraries:

Visit the Read to Relax webpage

Creative Remedies also offers a Read to Relax Group. For more information call 01925 443555 or email creativeremedies@warrington.gov.uk.

The Reader
The Read to Relax groups are based on an approach developed by the Reader, a charity which aims to promote wellbeing and reduce social isolation through shared reading. The Reader offers free training and ongoing support to help volunteers set up and run shared reading groups, to promote wellbeing in their community or workplace. 

Visit the Reader’s website 

This collection of books aims to help children cope with daily life and difficult feelings. Some of the books cover feelings such as anger, fear, worry and sadness. Other books focus on things which can help, such as mindfulness and building self-esteem. The booklist is aimed at children aged 7-11 and includes books for less confident readers. All the books can be borrowed free from LiveWire Libraries. More information about the booklist can be found on the link below.  

Visit the Reading Well website

This is a collection of 35 books which aims to provide young people (aged 13-18) with information, support and advice on a wide range of mental health issues and difficult life experiences. The issues covered include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self-harm, bullying and exams.

Reading Well for Young People is part of the Books on Prescription Scheme run by the Reading Agency. Young people with experience of mental health problems helped experts to choose the books. All the books are free to borrow from LiveWire Libraries.

Visit the Reading Well website

The Reading Agency has put together lists of mood-boosting books, which include novels, non-fiction, poetry and graphic novels. These books are recommended (by members of reading groups) for anyone who is feeling stressed, or wants to boost their mood. Many of the books can be borrowed from LiveWire Libraries. 

Visit the Reading Well website

This site has free downloadable resources on Sleep and Wellbeing. These resources are designed for teachers to use with young people aged 10-16. The materials aim to help young people explore the physical and mental benefits of sleep. They include action plan worksheets, ideas for activities, lesson plans and PowerPoints.

Visit Public Health England's website 

This site has a range of free self-help booklets, one of them focuses on sleeping problems. The booklets are clear, easy to read and based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). They're available in a variety of formats and can be downloaded free for personal use. There is also a free app for iPhone, iPad and Android, which allows people to access the full range of self-help booklets that the site offers. 

Visit CNTW NHS Trust's website

The Every Mind Matters site has information and advice on how you can look after your mental wellbeing, or find support for mental health problems. It includes several pages on sleep, which cover:

• Understanding sleep problems
• Top tips for a better sleep
• Signs of sleep problems
• What causes sleep problems
• Getting help

The site also has an interactive tool, Your Mind Plan, which will suggest simple actions you could take to improve your mental health.

Visit Every Mind Matters website 

This service offers a range of talking treatments to people experiencing issues such as depression, anxiety, panic, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The treatments include disorder specific workshops, guided self-help and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). If someone’s sleep is affected by their depression or anxiety, sleep hygiene is one of the interventions the service can offer.

Due to COVID-19 Talking Matters Warrington is currently providing psychological support by phone, video conferencing and through the Silvercloud e-therapy platform.

To use the service people need to be aged 16 or over and registered with a GP in Warrington. People can be referred into the service by a GP, or can refer themselves. Referrals can be made by:

• emailing a referral form to tmw.referrals@nhs.net
  
• calling 01925 401720 and leaving a message for staff to ring you back

The referral form can be downloaded from Talking Matters’ webpages. 

Making Space offers a range of free, computerised cognitive behaviour therapy (cCBT) programmes. The programmes are confidential and you can refer yourself. For you to get the most out of the programmes, basic computer skills are desirable. You need to be 16 or over and registered with a GP in Warrington to use this service.

cCBT can be an effective treatment for mild to moderate conditions such as low mood, worry, panic, agoraphobia and sleep problems. The computerised programmes aim to help people recognise and challenge negative thinking and behaviour within themselves, and to develop coping skills. The sleep module covers sleeping habits, relaxation and thoughts that might keep you awake. Each person receives up to six weekly treatment sessions, with one to one support. It's also possible to work through these programmes at home with weekly telephone support sessions.

Visit Making Space's website

Information on this site covers different types of sleep problem, self-help strategies and treatments. There’s also information about sleep problems in children. Podcasts on sleep, relaxation and mental wellbeing are available on the site. Booklets on different aspects of mental health and wellbeing can be downloaded free, or bought from the site. One of the booklets, “How to Sleep Better”, gives self-help tips for a good night’s sleep.

Visit the Mental Health Foundation’s website

The national charity Mind, provides information on a wide range of mental health and wellbeing issues. The site has information about different types of sleep problems, including insomnia. This can be downloaded free as a PDF booklet and includes practical self-help tips and details of where you can go for support. 

Visit Mind's website

The MindEd website provides free e-learning resources on mental health and wellbeing. The e-learning is aimed at the general public, volunteers and professionals. The resources for families focus on children, young people and older people. The site aims to help people understand what problems can occur, what self-help approaches might work and what support is available. On the families’ section of the site, two of the learning resources relate to sleep problems:

• Sleep difficulties (young people) 
  
  
• I cannot sleep (older people) 

Visit MindEd for Families 

The sleep pages on this site cover tiredness and fatigue, sleep tips and children’s sleep. There’s also a page on insomnia, which includes a sleep self-assessment with practical tips for improving sleep.

Visit the NHS website

The Books on Prescription scheme encourages people to read recommended self-help books for issues such as depression and anxiety. One of the books, The Sleep Book: How to Sleep Well Every Night, focuses on sleep. All the books are endorsed by health care professionals and can be borrowed free from LiveWire Libraries. GPs and other health professionals can also recommend the self-help books as part of your treatment. For details about the Warrington Books on Prescription Scheme and to see the full range of recommended books visit LiveWire Libraries’ site. More information about the national scheme can be found on the link below.

Visit the Reading Well website

This site has clear, non-medical information aimed at the general public, including two pages which focus on sleep.

• Sleeping well
  The information on this page outlines a number of sleep problems. It also gives simple tips on how to sleep better and how to decide if you need more help. 
  
  
• Sleep problems in childhood and adolescence: for parents and carers
  This page looks the reasons why some children and young people have sleep problems. It also offers practical advice. 

Below are details of the NHS Apps Library and ORCHA, both sites assess and rate health and wellbeing apps. The aim of assessing apps is to help people decide which app might be best for them. Both sites are aimed at the general public. The assessment of the apps covers areas such as safety, effectiveness and data protection.

NHS Apps Library
This site lists apps which may help people manage, or improve their health. It includes a section on mental health apps and a small section on sleep apps. The NHS assesses the apps to make sure that only apps that are safe and secure are included in the digital library. The assessment covers how effective the app is, how easy it is to use, clinical safety and data protection. Many of the apps listed are free, though there's a charge for some.

Visit the NHS Apps Library

This organisation helps people find the best apps to improve their health. ORCHA reviews and rates health, wellbeing, fitness and medical apps against certain standards. The review process involves checking each apps' performance in relation to effectiveness, safety, security and usability. A number of the apps on ORCHA's site relate to mental wellbeing and sleep. The website's design means that you can easily search for apps by topic, platform and cost.

In February 2020 ORCHA rated Sleepio, Sleeprate and Ambio Sleep Sounds the highest, for improving sleep. You can read about these apps here.

Visit ORCHA's app finder pages

The Warrington Wellbeing Team helps people get the information, advice and practical support they need to improve their health and wellbeing. The Team offers free, one to one support, to help people manage things like loneliness, money worries, health problems and reducing smoking. Anyone over the age of 18, who lives or works in Warrington, can self-refer into the Service. People can also refer family members and friends. Some information and advice is provided by the Team members themselves, but when specialist advice is needed, Wellbeing staff will refer people on to the appropriate service. 

For more information visit the webpage below, or call the Warrington Wellbeing Team on 01925 248460.

Visit Warrington Wellbeing's webpage

The local Mental Health Crisis Line is: 

• available 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• for people experiencing a mental health crisis, who need urgent support
• for people concerned that a friend or family member is in a mental health crisis
• for people who live in Warrington, Halton, Knowsley or St Helens 
• for people of all ages, including children and young people
• free to call

Call 0800 051 1508

When you call the Crisis Line, a mental health professional will talk to you, listen to your worries and try to understand your current problems. You and the health professional will then make a plan of how best to meet your needs.

This could include:

• A mental health assessment, or a referral for an assessment
• A referral to one of Mersey Care Trust’s mental health services
• Contacting the local psychological therapy service
• Contacting services which can support you with difficulties relating to things such as housing, financial advice, or drug and alcohol issues.

If you are already receiving support for your mental health, you can ring the Crisis Line, or the service you’re receiving support from.

The Crisis Line is run by Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust.

Shout provides free, confidential, 24/7, text support to anyone who’s feeling overwhelmed or is struggling to cope. This includes children, young people and adults.

The text support service is staffed by trained volunteers who will work with you, to help you take steps to feel better. Shout can help with issues such as stress, anxiety and depression.

If you live in Warrington, Halton, Knowlsey, or St Helens simply text “REACH” to 85258 any time of day or night, for immediate support. (If you live in another area you can text “Shout” to 85258 for support).

You can read more about the support available from the text service, on Shout’s website.

If you don't need urgent help, but you’d like support to manage your mental health and wellbeing, there is a range of options:

• If you are already receiving support for your mental health, you can ring the service you’re receiving support from. Or you can get in touch with your care co-ordinator, the person who looks after your care, or the person from the team you usually see. Their number will be in your recovery plan.
  
  
• If you're experiencing a mental health problem such as anxiety, depression or stress, then you could refer yourself to IAPT, Talking Matters Warrington. (This service is for people aged 16 or over, who are registered with a GP in Warrington).
  
  
• Another option, if you don’t need urgent help, is to get in touch with your GP. Your GP will ask you about the difficulties you’re experiencing and may refer you to a service which can offer specialist help.
  
  
• You could also click one of the age-related, blue buttons above, then look under the dark heading “Information and support”. You’ll find details there of wide range of local and national support services.

CALM is for anyone in the UK who is down and needs to talk. CALM offers free, confidential support through a helpline and webchat. Support is available from 5pm to midnight every day.

Helpline: 0800 58 58 58
Visit CALM’s website

Childline’s free helpline offers confidential telephone counselling and advice to children and young people, who are under 19 years old. Support is also available through email, online chat with a Childline counsellor, and the website’s message boards.

Ring: 0800 1111
Visit Childline's website

PAPYRUS’ HOPELINEUK is for young people (aged under 35) who are having thoughts of suicide and anyone who is worried about a young person who may be at risk of suicide. When you ring you don’t have to give your name, or any personal details. All calls are confidential, but if an advisor is concerned about a young person’s safety then PAPYRUS may contact emergency services to ensure the young person doesn’t come to harm.

HOPELINEUK 0800 068 41 41
Text 07860 039967
pat@papyrus-uk.org 
Visit PAPYRUS' website

Samaritans offers a safe place for you to talk, at any time, day or night, about whatever is getting to you. You don’t have to be suicidal to get in touch with Samaritans. You can call, email, write, or visit Samaritans face-to-face.

116 123 this number is free to call
jo@samaritans.org
Visit Samaritans' website

This free suicide prevention app includes details of crisis support in Warrington, as well as national support services.

The Stay Alive app is for anyone who feels suicidal. It's also for people who are concerned about someone else’s suicidal thoughts. The app includes:

• a safety plan
• reasons for living (you can add your own personal reasons)
• a life box where you can store photos and memories that are important to you
• strategies for staying safe
• tips on how to stay grounded, when you're feeling overwhelmed
• a wellness plan
• details of local and national support services

You can download the Stay Alive app free from the App Store or Google Play. More details about the app can be found on the Grassroots Suicide Prevention website.

ChatHealth is a secure text messaging service for young people, parents and carers. The service can provide information, advice and support on a range of health and wellbeing issues. The concerns people contact the service with include mental health, self-harm and bullying. ChatHealth is anonymous and confidential and is staffed by Health Visitors and School Nurses.

The service is available Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm. Messages are responded to within 24 hours during this time. If you text outside these hours, then you’ll receive a message saying your query will be responded to when the service re-opens. ChatHealth doesn’t aim to replace face to face appointments, but to offer more choice, when you want trusted health advice. ChatHealth is not an emergency service.

The numbers for ChatHealth Warrington and the national website are below:

• young people aged 11 to 19 can call 07507 330101
  
  
• parents/carers of children aged 0 to 5 can call 07507 327981
  
  
• parents/carers of children and young people aged 5 to 19 can call 07480 635994

Another option is to visit chathealth.nhs.uk to start a chat.

ChatHealth Warrington is run by Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

Kooth offers free online support and counselling to young people aged 11–18 in Warrington. On the site you can get information and advice about things such as family worries, friendship problems, exam stress and other concerns. There’s also the chance to get support from other young people in the chat forums.

Visit the Kooth website 

Mind Works' drop-in sessions, are for young people (aged under 18) who have concerns about their own, or someone else's mental health.

You don’t need to be referred into the service, or to book an appointment, you can just drop-in. You can attend the drop-in by yourself, or if you prefer you can take someone with you. At the drop-in a member of Mind Works' staff will talk to you and ask questions about your difficulties. They will then agree with you, a plan of support. 

Professionals and family members can also use the drop-in sessions, if they need advice for someone they’re working with, or for a young family member.

The drop-ins take place at:

• The Hub, Capesthorne Road Orford, on Thursdays from 9.00am to 11.00am
  
  
• Great Sankey Children’s Centre, Liverpool Road, on Tuesdays from 3.00pm to 5.00pm

Mind Works' drop-ins are staffed by workers from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and the Early Help Service.

If you have any questions about Mind Works, you can call Warrington CAMHS on 01925 575 904 from 9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday. 

CALM is for anyone in the UK who is down and needs to talk. CALM offers free confidential support through a helpline and webchat. Support is available from 5pm to midnight every day.

Visit CALM's website

Whatever you might be worried about Childline will listen to your concerns. The free helpline offers confidential telephone counselling and advice to children and young people (under the age of 19). You can also have an online chat with a counsellor, or get support from the online message boards. The "Explore" section of the site has information and advice about many different things that can affect young people's mental health. 

"For Me" is a counselling app developed by teenagers for Childline. You can download the app free from the App Store.

Visit Childline's website

Mind’s website, which is aimed at adults, has information booklets and fact sheets on different aspects of mental health. The site also includes pages for young people and for parents and guardians.

Visit Mind's website

This site provides easy to read information on a range of different mental and physical health problems. It also has information and practical ideas to help you look after yourself.

Visit the NHS website

Young people's mental health :: Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

This charity has information about a wide range of issues including mental health problems, treatments and support available. Rethink's information sheets can be downloaded free.

Visit Rethink's website

This website has clear, non-medical information aimed at the general public. The pages for young people cover some of the difficulties that young people might experience, as well as suggestions for coping. The information is free to print from the site.

Visit the RCPsych website

Shelf Help is a collection of 35 books for young people (aged 13-18). The books offer information and advice on a range of issues including depression, anxiety, stress, bullying and exams. The books were chosen by groups of young people with experience of mental health problems; and by mental health experts. The collection includes self-help books, memoirs, graphic novels and fiction. Shelf Help is part of Books on Prescription, a national project run by the Reading Agency.

You can borrow any of the Shelf Help books, free, from LiveWire Libraries.

Visit the Reading Well for Young People webpage

YOOF is the free digital platform which broadcasts engaging peer to peer, age relatable content for children, young people and adults up to 25 with SEN. The platform shares video posts generated by members from organisations.

There is links to organisations for anyone wanting to know more about the creators and to join in their online or in person events.

YOOF is for every young person including those who feel isolated or struggle with their mental health exclusively across Warrington & Cheshire.

To create a new user login and access the YOOF service, please visit YOOF.

For additional information about YOOF, please visit the YOOF YouTube channel

This site has information about young people's mental health and details of mental health problems that young people commonly experience. There are also tips on how to feel good about yourself and where to get help and advice.

Visit Young Mind's website

The Warrington Wellbeing Team helps people get the information, advice and practical support they need to improve their health and wellbeing. The Team offers free, one to one support, to help people manage things like loneliness, money worries, health problems and reducing smoking. Anyone over the age of 18, who lives or works in Warrington, can self-refer into the Service. People can also refer family members and friends. Some information and advice is provided by the Team members themselves, but when specialist advice is needed, Wellbeing staff will refer people on to the appropriate service. 

For more information visit the webpage below, or call the Warrington Wellbeing Team on 01925 248460.

Visit Warrington Wellbeing's webpage

The site is divided into a number of sections to help you find the information, advice, support or activities you're interested in. The different sections include:

• early help and childcare
• things to do
• health and wellbeing
• housing and care homes
• support for carers
• education and work
• getting around
• help at home and in the community
• money and legal advice
• Ask Ollie

Ask Ollie, also known as “The Local Offer”, is Warrington's online directory of services and support for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Visit the website of My Life Warrington

Beat provides information, advice and support to people experiencing eating disorders. Support is offered through a general helpline, a student helpline and a youth helpline, also though one to one, online chat. 

Visit Beat's website

Elevate is a 10 week targeted programme which aims to promote positive wellbeing for young people age 11–13 years who are experiencing mild to moderate anxiety and low mood. The programme aims to support young people in developing an understanding of emotional wellbeing and mindfulness, building confidence, self-esteem and resilience to create a ‘tool-box’ of knowledge to continue to improve/protect their emotional wellbeing. 

Elevate + is another group the same as above however is for young people age 14+ who are experiencing mild to moderate anxiety and low mood. 

Both Elevate groups are referral only. A MARS referral will need to be submitted for tier 2 targeted youth support stating Elevate as the intervention required. Please ensure that referrals include relevant information and a rationale as to why the young person is suitable and would benefit from the programme. For more information contact Kaitlin on kaitlin.foulkes@warrington.gov.uk.

Footsteps helps people cope if someone in their family is misusing drugs or alcohol. The support Footsteps can offer young people (aged 11 or over) includes information, telephone help, drop-in sessions, one to one appointments, counselling, peer support, and fun respite activities.

Visit the young people's pages on Footsteps' website

This site is for children and young people who want to understand domestic abuse. It explains:

• what domestic abuse is
• what you can do to if it's happening to you
• dealing with feelings
• how to keep yourself safe

Visit the Hide Out's website

This charity supports vulnerable families with young children up to the age of five. Home-Start volunteers visit families on a weekly basis to offer support and to help parents manage difficult times.

The families that Home-Start works with experience a range of issues including isolation, being a lone parent, coping with a disability, mental health problems, coping with twins or triplets, domestic violence and alcohol and drug problems.

If you think you might benefit from Home-Start’s support you can call Steph on 01925 652320 or complete the online self-referral form.

Visit Home-Start Warrington's website

This service offers a range of talking treatments to people experiencing issues such as depression, anxiety, panic, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The treatments include guided self-help and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).  

To use the service, people need to be aged 16 or over and registered with a GP in Warrington. People can be referred into the service by a GP, or can refer themselves. Referrals can be made by:

• emailing a referral form to tmw.referrals@nhs.net
  
• calling 01925 401720 and leaving a message for staff to ring you back

The referral form can be downloaded from Talking Matters’ webpages. 

Visit Talking Matters' website

Making Space offers a range of free, computerised cognitive behaviour therapy (cCBT) programmes. The programmes are confidential and you can refer yourself. For you to get the most out of the programmes, basic computer skills are desirable. You need to be registered with a GP in Warrington to use this service.

cCBT can be an effective treatment for mild to moderate conditions such as low mood, worry, panic, agoraphobia, sleep problems and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The computerised programmes aim to help people recognise and challenge negative thinking and behaviour within themselves, and develop coping skills. Each person receives four to nine, weekly treatment sessions with one to one support. It's also possible to work through these programmes at home with weekly telephone support sessions.

Visit Making Space's website

This charity offers information, advice and support to anyone who is concerned about a parent's drinking. There are different pages for children, young people and other people who are concerned. The charity runs a free, confidential helpline and also offers support via email.

Visit NACA's website

PAPYRUS’ HOPELINEUK is for young people who are having thoughts of suicide and anyone who is worried about a young person who may be at risk of suicide. You don’t have to give your name, or any personal details. All calls are confidential, but if an advisor is concerned about your safety then PAPYRUS may contact emergency services to ensure you don’t come to harm.

HOPELINEUK 0800 068 41 41
Text 07860 039967
pat@papyrus-uk.org
Visit PAPYRUS' website

Students against depression is a website for students who are depressed, have a low mood or are having suicidal thoughts. Visit STUDENTS AGAINST DEPRESSION website.

This charity provides information, advice and support to people who have been affected by rape or sexual abuse. The site includes a page for young people and offers counselling to people aged 13 and over. You can refer yourself to the Centre by phoning, or through the website's contact page.

Tel. Warrington 01925 221546
Visit RASASC's website

This collection of books aims to help children cope with daily life and difficult feelings. Some of the books cover feelings such as anger, fear, worry and sadness. Other books focus on things which can help, such as mindfulness and building self-esteem. The booklist is aimed at children aged 7-11 and includes books for less confident readers. All the books can be borrowed free from LiveWire Libraries. More information about the booklist can be found on the link below.  

Visit the Reading Well website

This is a collection of 35 books which aims to provide young people (aged 13-18) with information, support and advice on a wide range of mental health issues and difficult life experiences. The issues covered include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self-harm, bullying and exams.

Reading Well for Young People is part of the Books on Prescription Scheme run by the Reading Agency. Young people with experience of mental health problems helped experts to choose the books. All the books are free to borrow from LiveWire Libraries.

Visit the Reading Well website

The Reading Agency has put together lists of mood-boosting books, which include novels, non-fiction, poetry and graphic novels. These books are recommended (by members of reading groups) for anyone who is feeling stressed, or wants to boost their mood. Many of the books can be borrowed from LiveWire Libraries. 

Visit the Reading Well website

This counselling service is for young people, aged 11-18, who are having difficulties such as depression, mental health problems, or issues with parents or people at school. If you're aged 11-15 a parent or carer will need to request counselling for you, if you're aged 16-18 you can ask for counselling yourself. To find out more about young people's counselling in Warrington ring 0300 330 5793. You can also talk for free to counsellors on Relate's national site using live chat.

Visit the Young People's Counselling webpages

This charity provides information and support to women and girls affected by self-injury. Support is offered by phone, text, email and webchat. If you don’t know how to start talking, you can just text or email "hello". The website has lots of information about self-injury, looking after yourself and getting help.

Visit the Self-Injury Support website

The Advocacy Hub, which is based in The Gateway on Sankey Street, offers free, confidential, independent advocacy to any Warrington resident over the age of 18 and to disabled young people over the age of 16.

Advocacy services support people by making sure they have their voice heard on issues that are important to them. The Advocacy Hub brings together a range of advocacy services, to make it easier for people to get the advocacy support which is right for them.

Visit Speak Up Advocacy Hub's webpage

State of Mind encourages rugby league players, coaches and fans to talk openly about mental health problems and to ask for help or support when they need it. The website includes information and resources to help you look after your mental health and details of how you can get involved.

Visit State of Mind's website

Samaritans offers a safe place for you to talk, at any time, day or night, about whatever is getting to you. You don’t have to be suicidal to get in touch with Samaritans. You can call, email, write, or visit Samaritans face-to-face.

116 123 this number is free to call
jo@samaritans.org
Visit Samaritans' website

Wired supports young people under 19 who provide care to a family member who has an illness or disability (including mental health problems and drug and alcohol problems). Wired offers information, advice, emotional support and social activities to young carers.

Visit Wired Young Carers' webpages

This service provides support and treatment to children and young people with eating disorders and to their families. The service works with people aged 8 to 18 who are experiencing eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. This service is available in Warrington, Halton, Knowsley and St Helens.

If you think you might have an eating disorder, then talk to your GP, or someone else you trust, such as your teacher, school nurse, social worker, or another health professional you know. Any of these people will be able to refer you into the Young People’s Community Eating Disorder Service, if it’s the right service for you.

Children and Young People's Eating Disorder Service :: Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

If you are looking for support or treatment for someone living in Warrington, aged 18 or over, with an eating disorder, then click here.

If you’re worried about your health, or how you’re feeling, then a School Nurse will listen to your concerns. They can offer advice, signpost you to other services and make referrals to specialist services if necessary. A School Nurse will be happy to talk to you over the phone, or arrange to meet with you. If you need to discuss something over a period of time, then you can have several meetings with a School Nurse.

You can book an appointment to see a School Nurse at the weekly drop-in session at your High School. The appointment can be booked through your school reception staff, you don’t need to tell anyone the reason for your appointment.

You can contact the School Nurses on the numbers below:

• Tel. 01925 867825 – East Warrington 
• Tel. 01925 867830 – South Warrington
• Tel. 01925 867927 – West Warrington

Youth workers offer support, learning opportunities and social activities to young people aged 11 to 19. Specialist support is also offered on subjects such as drugs, alcohol and sexual health.

Visit the Youth Service's webpages

This site lists apps which may help you manage, or improve your health. It includes a section on mental health apps. The apps are checked to make sure that only apps that are safe are included in the digital library. The checks include whether the app does what it's meant to, how easy it is to use and whether it's safe. Many of the apps listed are free, though there's a charge for some. 

Visit the NHS Apps Library

This site has a range of clear, easy to read, self-help booklets which are based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). The booklets cover mental wellbeing and different mental health problems. You can download the booklets in different formats, for free. There's also a free app for iPhone, iPad and Android, which includes all the self-help booklets. For more details about the app click the link below and then click the “more options” tab at the top of the page. The information about the app is the first link under the “more options” heading.

Visit CNTW NHS Trust's website

This organisation helps people find apps to look after and improve their health. ORCHA checks health, wellbeing, fitness and medical apps and then gives them a rating. Some of the apps on ORCHA's site relate to mental wellbeing and suicide prevention. The website's design means that you can easily search for apps by topic, platform and cost.

Visit ORCHA's app finder pages

This free suicide prevention app includes details of crisis support in Warrington, as well as national support services.

The Stay Alive app is for anyone who fees suicidal. It's also for people who are concerned about someone else’s suicidal thoughts. The app includes:

• a safety plan
• reasons for living (you can add your own personal reasons)
• a life box where you can store photos and memories that are important to you
• strategies for staying safe
• tips on how to stay grounded, when you're feeling overwhelmed
• a wellness plan
• details of local and national support services

You can download the Stay Alive app free from the App Store or Google Play. More details about the app can be found on the Grassroots Suicide Prevention website.

This free game, available for iOS or Android, is for young people (aged 12 and over) who have a very ill family member or friend. It's also for young people who have had a family member or friend die. The App includes interactive meditations and ideas for coping with overwhelming feelings. You can download Apart of Me from the App Store or Google Play.

On the ORCHA app finder site, you can search for other health, fitness and wellbeing apps, which have been reviewed and rated. 

This organisation provides information, advice and support to adults, who are supporting children or young people who've been bereaved. Support is also available to children and young people themselves. The website includes pages for schools, professionals, parents, carers and young people. Support is offered through a free, national helpline, email and live chat. Booked telephone support is also available to families, when a bereavement is expected.

Visit Child Bereavement UK's website

This charity supports young people (up to the age of 25). It also supports parents, who have lost a child of any age. People can get support before they are bereaved, immediately after bereavement, or years later. Specialist bereavement support is currently being offered via phone, Zoom and instant Messenger. Face to face support has been suspended because of COVID-19. When face to face support is available at the Widnes base, it’s open to people living in Warrington. 

Visit the webpages of Child Bereavement UK (Cheshire) 

This organisation provides information, guidance and support to adults, who are supporting children and young people who've been bereaved. There are sections on the website for service providers, parents and carers, and bereaved young people.

Visit the Childhood Bereavement Network's website

Childline has information on how young people can help themselves and where they can get support, when someone has died. The website includes:

• How to cope when someone dies
• Reactions to losing someone you love
• Who you can talk to
• Saying goodbye
• Losing someone to suicide
• Creating memory stones

Childline's helpline is for children and young people, who are under 19. It provides free, confidential, counselling and advice. There is also the option of an online chat with a counsellor, or support from the online message boards.

"For Me" is a counselling app developed by teenagers for Childline. It can be downloaded free from the App Store.

Visit Childline's website

This organisation offers support to children, young people and families who have been bereaved. It also supports school staff and frontline staff, who are working with bereaved families. Support is provided through: 

• A free, national helpline Monday to Friday, 9.00am-9.00pm.
• Live webchat and email.
• Online counselling.
• Webpages with resources for young people, schools and professionals.

Visit Grief Encounter’s website 

Hope Again is the youth website of Cruse Bereavement Care. Hope Again provides information and advice for young people, when someone has died. You can learn from other young people and can share your feelings, through the site's online chat and message board. You can contact Cruse by phone or email, details are on the Hope Again website.

Visit Hope Again's website

Winston's Wish supports children, young people and their families following the death of a parent, or a brother or sister. Support is offered through a free helpline, email, Crisis Messenger and online chat. The site also has information on supporting grieving children and young people during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Visit the website of Winston's Wish

This site has lots of information about young people's mental health. It also has ideas and tips for things that children and young people can do, which might help them feel better. The pages on grief and loss cover:

• What grief is
• Working through your grief
• Where to get help

Visit Young Minds website

The Adler Centre offers free bereavement and grief counselling to anyone affected by the death of a child (of any age). This includes adults, children and families, across the country. The service also provides peer support from volunteers, as well as practical and emotional support, for families who have been affected by the death of a child at Alder Hey Hospital. 

Visit the Alder Centre's website

This charity provides a range of support to bereaved people in the UK. The service includes:

• Grief chat: free online support from a bereavement counsellor.
• Bereavement support, for men.
• Information and resources.
• A directory of bereavement services across the UK, which people can search, for particular types of support.

The site also has pages on COVID-19 and bereavement. 

Visit the website of At a Loss 

This phone line provides confidential support to NHS workers. The support is just for staff with bereavement or mental wellbeing issues, which relate to loss experienced through their work. The free, confidential support line is open from 8.00am to 8.00pm, seven days a week.

Call 0300 303 4434

Visit the website of Our NHS People 

This national organisation provides support to parents, grandparents and brothers and sisters (over 18), who have been bereaved by the death of a child. The child can be of any age (including an adult child). The service is available whether the death was recent, or many years ago. It is provided by people who have themselves, been affected by the death of a child. Support is available through:

• A national helpline, which is open every day and every evening.
• Email.
• A moderated online forum.
• Online events, for bereavement in particular circumstances.
• Moderated Facebook groups.
• A range of leaflets for bereaved families and professionals, these include one on “grieving during the COVID-19 pandemic”.

Warrington support group
The Compassionate Friends run a bereavement support group in Warrington. Due to COVID-19 the group meetings have been suspended, but the facilitator can offer phone support to bereaved parents. To contact the Warrington group call the national helpline on 0345 123 2304, or email helpline@tcf.org.uk. 

Visit The Compassionate Friends' website

This charity offers information, advice and emotional support to people of any age, who have been affected by bereavement. The website includes information and resources for schools, parents and professionals. Because of COVID-19 face-to face support has been suspended and Cruse is offering support though:

• A free national telephone helpline, which is open every day and some evenings.
• Email.
• Website resources, which include a range of free leaflets as well as several pages on COVID-19, bereavement and grief.
• The Hope Again website, which is for young people who have been bereaved.

Visit Cruse Bereavement Care's website

Dying Matters encourages people to talk about death, dying and bereavement. The site is for anyone who needs information about planning for end of life, (including health care professionals and the general public). The online resources include practical information and an opportunity for people to connect with others through the website’s forums.

Visit Dying Matters’ website 

The cognitive behavioural therapy that Talking Matters Warrington provides, can help with conditions such as depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These mental health problems can often be triggered by bereavement, especially when the bereavement is traumatic.

Talking Matters Warrington recommends that people wait at least four weeks following a bereavement, before starting treatment. This is to allow the natural process of grieving to take place.

The treatments include guided self-help and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Due to the current restrictions, psychological therapies are being delivered via telephone and through the Silvercloud e-therapy platform.

To use the service, people need to be aged 16 or over and registered with a GP in Warrington. People can be referred into the service by a GP, or can refer themselves. The service is currently accepting referrals via email tmw.referrals@nhs.net and via voicemails left at 01925 401720. A referral form can be downloaded from the link below.

Visit Talking Matters webpages

This local charity offers practical support and advice to those affected by cancer. The range of support includes counselling and one to one support. 

Visit John Holt’s website 

This charity offers confidential bereavement support to anyone affected by the sudden and unexpected death of a baby or young child. This includes families, friends, carers and professionals. The service is available whether the death was recent, or many years ago. Support is provided through:

• A bereavement support helpline, which is free and open every day.
• Befrienders, who offer peer support by phone and email.
• A Facebook Bereavement Support Group.

Visit the Lullaby Trust’s website 

This charity offers emotional support to people living with cancer, and to their loved ones. Support is provided through:

• A national, free helpline and webchat service. Both are open 8.00am-8.00pm, seven days a week.
• Email.
• An online peer support community.

The website includes pages on practical and emotional matters relating to bereavement.

Visit Macmillan’s website

Marie Curie runs a free telephone support service, for people bereaved by terminal illness. People can access support before they are bereaved, immediately after bereavement, or years later. This service is open to people aged 18 or over, it includes:

• A telephone support line, which provides practical and emotional support seven days a week.
• Support from spiritual care coordinators (to help people find things that bring them hope, strength and peace).
• Ongoing telephone support from bereavement volunteers, (up to six sessions of 45 minutes).

The charity's website also provides information and resources to help people cope with their own grief, or support someone else through bereavement.

Visit Marie Curie's website

This service offers a listening ear, information, advice and support to people bereaved by COVID-19. Support is provided through a free, national helpline, which is open 7.00am-10.00pm, seven days a week. People can get support by phone, SMS, email or through a chatroom.

Visit the Hub’s website

SANDS offers support to anyone affected by the death of a baby before, during or shortly after birth. The service is available whether the death was recent or many years ago. The bereavement support available through SANDS includes:

• A confidential, free national helpline.
• Email support.
• An online peer support forum.
• “Grief Chat”, free, online chat with trained bereavement counsellors.
• Online and printed bereavement resources.

Visit SANDS website 

The Sue Ryder charity offers information, resources and support relating to bereavement. This includes:

• Free, online bereavement counselling, for people aged 18 or over.
• Peer support, through an online community.
• Information and resources to help people cope with their own grief, or support someone else through bereavement.

Visit Sue Ryder's website

This charity supports people who have been suddenly bereaved, whatever the cause. Emotional support, practical advice and signposting is offered through a free national helpline and by email. The site includes pages with information about bereavement by COVID-19.

Visit Sudden's website

This local charity provides bereavement support to anyone whose loved one was cared for or supported by St Rocco's. The support offered includes counselling.

Visit St Rocco’s website 

This local charity offers bereaved people the opportunity to talk to trained volunteers about their experience of loss. There is currently a waiting list for support. Volunteers are happy to explain the service to people, who would like to be placed on the waiting list.

Visit WBS' website

This service provides a range of support to bereaved Warrington residents, who are arranging the burial or cremation of a loved one. 

You can contact WBC’s Bereavement services on bereavement-services@warrington.gov.uk or 01925 267731.

You can find practical information and advice about what needs to be done following a death on WBC’s website.

This local service provides one to one practical advice and support to anyone close to a patient, who has died in the hospital. People can contact the Bereavement Office on 01925 662294 or 01925 275281. The booklet “A Guide for Bereaved Relatives and Friends” can be downloaded from the site. The booklet gives more details about the service and practical advice on what needs to be done following a death.

Visit the Bereavement Service’s webpages

AMPARO offers confidential, practical and emotional support to anyone affected by suicide. Support can be provided one-to-one, to family groups and to groups of colleagues or peers. The support offered includes: 

• Help dealing with the police and the coroner.
• Helping with media enquiries.
• Help preparing for and attending the inquest.
• Helping people to access local support services.

People can contact Amparo by calling 0330 088 9255, emailing amparo.service@listening-ear.co.uk, or completing the form on the website.

You can download an A4 PDF poster, promoting AMPARO's Service here. 

Visit AMPARO's website

As well as providing support to young people who feel suicidal and to people concerned about a young person, PAPYRUS offers a debrief service. People of any age can ring HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 41 41, to debrief, after a recent encounter with suicide.

Examples of who the service is for are below:

• A concerned other, after a patient/a loved one has attempted suicide.
• A concerned other, after they have asked a client ‘Are you thinking about suicide?’ and the answer was ‘Yes.’
• A first responder, after they have attended the scene of a suicide, or an attempted suicide.
• Anyone who has had a recent encounter with suicide, or who has recently witnessed a suicide.

PAPYRUS’ offers a debrief service, rather than bereavement support. If you are looking for suicide bereavement support, both SOBS and AMPARO offer this.

This website offers information and support to people who have been bereaved, or impacted, by suicide. As well as pages for people impacted by suicide, the site covers supporting someone else, finding local support and personal stories. There's also a resources section, with a range of booklets, leaflets and support guides relating to suicide prevention and suicide bereavement. All the resources can be read online, or downloaded free.

Visit the Support After Suicide Partnership website

SOBS is a national self-help organisation which offers confidential support to people over 18, who have been bereaved by suicide. Support is provided by volunteers through the helpline, by email and through local groups. 

St Helen's SOBS group
This SOBS group offers support to people in St Helen's and the surrounding areas, including Warrington. Volunteers, who have themselves been bereaved by suicide, run the group. Because of COVID-19 face to face meetings aren’t currently taking place, but the group is meeting online. For more details about the St Helen's group, ring Derek or Anne on 07580 358312.

Visit the national SOBS' website

Winston's Wish supports children, young people and their families following the death of a parent, or a brother or sister. Support is available through a free helpline, email, crisis Messenger and online chat. The website includes several articles relating to bereavement by suicide. The book “Beyond the Rough Rock, Supporting a Child who has been Bereaved through Suicide” can be bought from the site.

Visit the website of Winston's Wish

This site has a range of clear, easy to read, self-help booklets, which are based on CBT. One of the booklets focuses on bereavement. The booklets are available in a variety of formats; and can be downloaded free. There is also a free app for iPhone, iPad and Android, which allows you to access the full range of self-help booklets.

Visit CNTW NHS Trust's website

This information booklet was produced by and for people who've been bereaved by suicide. The booklet covers a range of areas including inquests and investigations, bereavement and how friends and colleagues can help. You can order a free hard copy of Help is at Hand by ringing 0300 123 1002 and quoting "2901502/Help is at Hand", or you can download a PDF of the booklet.

Mind’s website has information booklets and fact sheets on different aspects of mental health and wellbeing. One of the booklets focuses on bereavement. This information can be read online, or downloaded free. Alternatively you can buy the bereavement booklet from the site. 

Visit Mind's site

This site has resource pages with free downloads, to help people get support following a death by suicide. The areas covered include:

• Resources for people bereaved or affected by suicide and those supporting them.
• Resources for people developing suicide bereavement services (postvention services).
• Educational resources, for anyone interested in suicide bereavement support.

Visit the website of Suicide Bereavement UK

This site brings together a range of resources for people who have been bereaved, or affected by suicide. The resources include leaflets, booklets and support guides, focusing on suicide prevention and suicide bereavement. All the resources can be viewed online, or downloaded from the site.

Halton and Warrington CCGs have produced a local leaflet about grief and the emotional impact of bereavement. The leaflet can be downloaded as a PDF, here.

Visit Halton and Warrington CCGs' website

This is a national self-help organisation run by and for the transgender community. The Beaumont Society offers support to people who identify as transgender, and to their partners and families. The Society can also provide advice and training on transgender issues. The website has a page especially for transgender teenagers.

Visit the Beaumont Society’s website

Childline isn’t just for children, it’s for any young person under 19. The website has clear, easy to understand information about many of the things which can affect children and young people.

You can talk to someone at Childline on the phone, by email or through one to one counsellor chat, about anything that's affecting you, including sexuality and gender identity (there's no charge).

Listed below are links to the main pages on Childline’s website, which have information about sexuality or gender identity:

• Sexuality
• Sexual and gender identity
• Gender identity

This charity provides information and support to young LGBT people, through resources on the website and webchat.

Visit the Proud Trust’s website

The TAGS groups offer young people, who identify as LGBTQ+, a safe space to meet, socialise, access support, and develop skills and confidence.  

TAGS (for 17-24 year olds) This group aims to help young people explore their transition to adulthood; develop support strategies; and challenge policies relating to the LGBTQ+ agenda. For more details about TAGS ring Sharon on 07717815859.

Youth TAGS (for 11-17 year olds) This group aims to help young people explore issues around sexuality and gender. It also provides support to young people, wherever they may be in terms of their LGBTQ+ journey. For more details about Youth TAGS ring Jaime on 07775024897. 

The TAGS groups are part of Warrington Borough Council's Youth Service. 

Visit the Youth Service's Facebook page

This charity provides information and support to LGBT+ people who have experienced violence or abuse. The website has factsheets you can download. It also explains the different types of abuse and where you can get support.

Visit Galop’s website

For more information about what hate crime is and how to report hate crime in Warrington, click on the orange drop down heading “Stigma, discrimination and mental health problems” below.

The LGBT Foundation offers advice, support and information to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or trans. Services include a national helpline and free talking therapies for LGBT people across the North West. The Foundation has produced this PDF guide on mental health and wellbeing for LGBT people.  The website also has a page on mental health for lesbian, bi-sexual and trans women. 

Visit the LGBT Foundation’s website

Mind's website has a number of pages on mental health and being LGBTIQ+. The site also has information sheets on many different aspects of mental health. The information sheets can be downloaded free.

Visit Mind’s website

Mind Out is a mental health service run by and for lesbians, gay men, bisexual, trans and queer people. Mind Out offers advice and information over the phone, by email, or via online chat.

Visit Mind Out’s website

The NHS website has a range of health information for LGBT people. Links to the main pages which cover LGBT people's health are listed below:

• How to find an NHS gender dysphoria clinic
  
• Gender dysphoria
• Mental health support if you’re lesbian, gay, bisexual, or trans

Rethink's site has information about a wide range of issues including mental health problems, treatments and support. The site includes a page which covers issues that can affect LGBT+ people's mental health. Rethink's information sheets (which can be downloaded free) include a fact sheet on LGBT+ mental health.

Visit Rethink’s website

Healthwatch Warrington is Warrington’s independent consumer champion that makes sure the views and experiences of local people are heard by those who run, plan and regulate local health and social care services.

The role of Healthwatch Warrington includes:

• representing the local community by influencing and challenging how health and social care services are provided in Warrington
• examining the quality of local health and social care services
• providing information and advice on people’s rights and choices in relation to health and social care services
• influencing decisions about planning and buying local health and social care services 
• signposting people to appropriate complaints, or advocacy services

When you give feedback to Healthwatch Warrington about local services, your feedback will be summarized, made anonymous and shared with services, regulators and commissioners. This helps the people running local services to understand what they’re doing well and what they might need to change. It also means that you and other people who use local services can play an important role in helping services to develop and improve.

On the Healthwatch Warrington website you can give feedback about a local health or social care service, or write a review of a service. Organisations providing services can respond to your online comments and explain how they plan to make changes or improvements to their service. You can also submit feedback about services through Healthwatch’s Facebook page, by using a freepost comment card, or by phone. Another way you can connect with Healthwatch is on Twitter.

If you're aged 14-25, interested in volunteering and keen to help improve local health and social care services, you might be interested in the group Youthwatch.

Call 01925 246 893
Email contact@healthwatchwarrington.co.uk
Visit Healthwatch Warrington’s website

NHS Complaints Advocacy
Healthwatch Warrington also offers an NHS Complaints Advocacy Service. This is free, confidential and independent. The service provides information and support to help people:

• understand their rights and options
• make informed choices
• understand the NHS complaints process

Visit the webpages for NHS Complaints Advocacy

If you want to give feedback to Mersey Care Trust about care or treatment that you, or someone you support, received, then you can contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Team (PALS), or the Complaints Team at the Trust.

Call PALS on 0800 328 2941 
Email palsandcomplaints@merseycare.nhs.uk
Visit Mersey Care Trust's website

Halton and Warrington Clinical Commissioning Groups fund many of the health services for Halton and Warrington residents. If you want to give feedback about the healthcare you receive, or have queries about a commissioning decision, then you can contact the CCGs' Patient Experience Team.

Call 0800 218 2333
Email mlcsu.pals@nhs.net
Visit Halton and Warrington CCGs' website

Making a complaint about a service commissioned by Warrington CCG
If you wish to make a complaint about any service commissioned by the CCG, you can contact the health provider themselves through their PALS. You can find contact details for your local PALS on the NHS website. 

GPs, dentists and pharmacies
If you have concern about a GP, dentist or pharmacy you can contact NHS England:

Call 0300 311 22 33
Email england.contactus@nhs.uk
Visit NHS England's website

This local project recruits and supports volunteers with lived experience of mental health problems (champions). The champions’ role is to challenge stigma and discrimination associated with mental health problems, through campaigns, events and activities across Warrington. The project is led by Warrington Speak Up.

Tel: 01925 246938
Email: GWT@warringtonspeakup.org.uk
Facebook & Twitter: @GetWarringtonTalking

Time to Change is a social movement which encourages us all to talk more openly about mental health. The aim of the movement is to change negative attitudes and behaviours towards people experiencing mental health problems. The national Time to Change site has ideas and resources to help people, of all ages, get involved. Many of the resources are free to download.

Visit the Time to Change website

Hate crime is the term used when someone is the target of crime or hostility, because of prejudice based on certain personal characteristics that they have. To put it simply, hate crime is when someone bullies you, hurts you or makes you feel bad, and their action is motivated by one of the personal characteristics below:

• disability (this would include mental health problems)
• gender identity
• race
• religion or faith
• sexual orientation

There are many different forms of hate crime. Hate crime can be against a person, or against their property. It can include:

• physical attacks
• vandalism
• harassment
• threats
• swearing
• abusive remarks
• bullying
• spitting
• insulting gestures
• being ignored

Hate crime can also take place online and on social media.

Mate Crime
Mate crime can be a form of hate crime. Mate crime is when someone pretends to be your friend, but then does things to take advantage of you or hurt you. In this context a “mate” might be a friend, a family member, a supporter, a paid member staff or someone in another role. Mate crime could involve someone asking you for money frequently, making you feel uncomfortable, or making you do things you don’t want to do.

Reporting hate crime
If you have experienced or witnessed a hate crime, then it's important to report it, as it may help prevent a hate crime happening to someone else.

There are a number of ways you can report a hate crime, by phone, in person or online:

• By phone: you can call the Police on 101 (for non-emergencies), or in an emergency on 999.
  
  
• In person: you can go to a local police station to report a hate crime, or to a local community reporting centre. Community reporting centres are organisations in Warrington whose staff have agreed to listen to people's experiences of hate crime and pass the information on to the police. You can report a hate crime at these centres anonymously if you wish. A list of local community reporting centres can be found on the Cheshire Police website.
  
  
• Online: via the True Vision website
  This site explains the different ways in which you can report hate crimes, including online reporting. It also has links to organisations that can offer support and advice to anyone who's experienced a hate crime.

The impact of hate crime
Hate crimes can cause people significantly more psychological distress, than crimes which aren’t motivated by hate or prejudice. The violence and harassment, which can be part of hate crimes, often takes place over a long period of time. This can have negative physical and psychological effects on individuals and their families. People who have been subjected to hate crime may experience depression, anxiety, or anger as a result of what they have been through.

Getting support
It's important to let someone know if you're experiencing difficulties as a result of hate crime. Talk to your GP, a friend, a member of your family, or someone else you trust. Letting someone know how you're feeling is the first step to getting the help or support you need.

Cheshire CARES (Cope and Recover Enhanced Service)
This site was set up to provide advice and support to all victims of crime in Cheshire, including bereaved relatives and carers. There's a directory on the site listing a wide range of local and national services which can support victims of crime. The crime doesn’t have to be recent, or to have been reported to the police, for you to get support. You can find Warrington based services by using the search function on the site. 

Support services on Happy? OK? Sad?
You could also click the dropdown headings above to see the range of mental health support available to people in Warrington. You might want to start by looking under the general heading “Information about local and national services and support”.

If you can’t cope and need support urgently, then click on the orange dropdown heading “If you need help right now” above.