Making Appropriate and Effective Internal and External Referrals (For Children)

A pupil tells you they've been self-harming, or a colleague mentions a child who seems to have stopped eating. You want to get them the right help, but the options are confusing and the waiting lists are long.

You'll get a clear way to think it through. You'll judge whether difficulties are mild, moderate or severe, and when a normal reaction to a hard time needs watching rather than referring. You'll know the difference between a young person with suicidal thoughts and one with a plan, and what each calls for. And you'll know where else to turn: mental health support teams, the school counsellor, and charities a young person can contact on their own.

Parents and carers are usually part of the answer. You'll come away with words for that first meeting that are clear and factual without being frightening, and a plan for following it up.