New website to help children and young people in Peterborough tackle mental health issues

The website, designed with input from children and young people, aims to promote better mental health by providing reliable information about support and advice.

Half of all mental health problems start before the age of 14, and it is estimated that in an average class of 30 15-year-old pupils, three could have a mental disorder.

The Keep Your Head website collates a range of reliable national and local information and resources that can help young people and their parents to look after their mental health.

Photography students from Cambridge Regional College have provided images for the site, and the site’s name was voted for via an online poll. The content of the website has been guided by young people, and includes information on how to look after your mental health, links to apps, and information on local services.

The website has been funded by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), with support from Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council.

Lee Miller, head of transformation and commissioning (children and maternity) at the CCG, said: “We’re really pleased with the website. The input we received from children and young people was invaluable in its development. This work is the first step of a wider programme for improving child and adolescent mental health services.”

Emma De Zoete, consultant in public health covering Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: “It is vitally important young people, parents and carers have access to reliable and accurate information regarding mental health issues and the support available locally. The Keep Your Head website provides this.”

Dominika Karpowicz, mental health campaigns officer for Mind in Cambridgeshire, who leads the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Stress LESS campaign, said: “The ‘Keep Your Head’ website is a truly fantastic resource which pulls together a wide range of invaluable information around young people’s mental health.

“We hope it will become a central, go-to hub which young people, parents and carers feel they can rely on. We will be working with young people and partners to get the message out about the website as it is strongly linked to our Stress LESS and STOP Suicide campaigns.”

Although the website is primarily designed for young people, it also has information for GPs, schools and colleges and parents/carers and will be promoted among these groups. The content of the website will continue to evolve based on local discussions and feedback.

The website can be viewed at http://www.keep-your-head.com/CP-MHS.