As a young person on our Face It programme, you may need advice or support for issues you are having in your life that our programme doesn’t cover, such as drug or alcohol abuse. Khulisa specialises in providing therapeutic wellbeing support programmes, and but there are lots of other organisations out there specialising in other areas which can help you. We have provided some details on this page, which we will try and keep as up-to-date as possible.
Alcohol and substance abuse
Talk to Frank is a national drugs education service with a live chat and freephone advice line. You can text a quick question to: 82111 and find local support here.
Change Grow Live provides alcohol and drugs services across the UK, including London, Greater Manchester and Sheffield. You can find your local service here. You can find information about alcohol here, and different types of drugs here. Both pages have links to useful resources and other organisations which may be able to help you.
Alateen is an organisation supporting teenage relatives and friends of alcoholics. Drugfam provides support to the families of individuals suffering with addiction to drugs or alcohol.
Local services
London: There is support available across different Boroughs. Young Hackney Substance Misuse Service, Tower Hamlets Compass Safe East and Harrow Young People’s Substance Misuse Service all take phone calls and referrals from young people. In Barnet, you can refer yourself to WDP Barnet Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Service (YPDAS). In the City of Westminster, the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea you can contact the DAWS Young Adults Team.
Greater Manchester: You can call Eclypse, Manchester’s drug and alcohol service for young people. Details of the services provided by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust can be found here.
Bullying
Bullying UK offer advice if you or someone you know is being bullied. Details regarding their free, confidential helpline are here.
Compass have published guidance on what to do if you’re being bullied and Childline also have a lot of resources, including 1-2-1 access to a counsellor online as well as other support.
Relationships and abuse
Childline have a lot of resources, including 1-2-1 access to a counsellor online as well as other support.
Disrespectnobody have a page dedicated to listing organisations who can help if you, or someone you know, is being abused by their partner.
Rape Crisis provides support for those who have experienced sexual abuse, rape or any kind of sexual violence.
Sexual health and teenage pregnancy
Brook offer free and confidential help and advice for all matters relating to sexual health and wellbeing for young people. Brook also have a tool to search all sexual health services in England (not just Brook) here.
Local services
London: There are different free and confidential services available to young people across all Boroughs. Find your local service providing sexual health information and support via this NHS tool.
The Camish Network also provides sexual health clinics for anyone under the age of 25, regardless of where in London you live.
Greater Manchester: Young people can access Fresh – a sexual health and contraception service for young people under 25.
Child Sexual Exploitation
Unsure what child sexual exploitation is? Read this article from Brook. Nationally, Childline provide 1-2-1 access to a counsellor online as well as other support 24/7.
Local services
London: Contact Safer London and ask about their Empower project. Safer London work one-to-one with young women and men to give them a safe and confidential space to talk about their experiences and relationships.
Greater Manchester: Contact the Greater Manchester CSE Service provided by Barnardos.
Exiting gangs
Nationally, Childline provide 1-2-1 access to a counsellor online as well as other support 24/7.
Local services
London: Contact Safer London and ask to be referred to their London Gang Exit project. This is a project providing support for anyone aged between 16 and 24 affected by gangs and serious violence, no matter what borough they live in.
Greater Manchester: Contact The Enthusiasm Trust or make a referral for yourself through The Children’s Society’s Disrupting Exploitation programme.
Mental health
As part of the Face It programme, we let your school or Pupil Referral Unit know if we think you would benefit from counselling. Each area of the country has its own Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), which is a term for all services that work with children and young people who have difficulties with their emotional or behavioural wellbeing. You can be referred to CAMHS by your parents, teacher, social worker or GP if you ask them to. Young Minds have produced a beginner’s guide to CAMHS available here.
If you’re aged over 16, you can refer yourself to your local service. Find your local service providing mental health support for young people via this NHS tool.
You can also access support from organisations part of the advice and counselling network Youth Access without a referral.
You can also text the YoungMinds Crisis Messenger, for free 24/7 support across the UK if you are experiencing a mental health crisis. If you need urgent help text YM to 85258.
Volunteering and careers
The British Youth Council have launched the LifeSkills programme with Barclays. Young people can register for free and access a wide range of online resources, including videos, activities, guides and interactive tools which they can use to self-learn the key skills they need for the workplace.
The Princes Trust provide support to find work or training to young people aged 11 to 30 year-old who are unemployed or struggling at school.
Local services
London: Contact London Youth to find out what opportunities exist in your Borough. You can also ask about the Future Talent pilot programme.
Greater Manchester: Contact Manchester Connect for support into education, employment and training.