We prefer young people to refer themselves, as then we can be sure that it is something they want to do (counselling or other support is unlikely to be a helpful intervention if the young person doesn’t really want to come or feels like they have been pushed into coming in any way).

However – this doesn’t mean we don’t accept referrals from professionals, parents and carers, we just ask that you check with the young person first that they would like to come and that they know a little bit about what Youth Start can offer. It would also be helpful if you could explain a little about the different types of support we offer. If you are unsure yourself do please give us a call to discuss this and to find out more about the various services at Youth Start.

If you are unsure whether a referral would be appropriate, please feel free to call us first for an informal discussion about the young person so we can assess together whether a referral is likely to be useful.

Informal Consultations

You can also call us for an informal consultation if you are worried about a young person and need advice about how best to support them i.e. how you can best manage the difficulties they are experiencing and help them to manage also, as well as information about other services that it might be appropriate to refer the young person to.

If you are a parent or carer, you may also want information about where you can get support for yourself. It can be very draining emotionally to be worried about your child and/or unsure how you can help them- it is vital that you consider your own needs and take time to look after yourself not only because you will be better equipped to support your child, but also so you can model to them how to look after themselves and not least because your needs are important too!

If you are in a stressful situation or struggling to support your son or daughter we can signpost you onto other services for this. Unfortunately, Youth Start is a very small service and we don’t currently have the resources to support parents ourselves.