There are a variety of local services available which can help provide additional support to improve the emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people, families, carers and professionals like you.
Please explore the links below to discover services that are available in your local area.
Please note that we have been unable to validate local services but please contact us with your feedback (good or bad) so that we can build a better evidence base of what works locally.
Public services (commissioned or provided):
There is never any excuse for domestic abuse or sexual violence. Ever. This website has been created by Torbay's Community Safety Partnership, Safer Communities Torbay, to provide information to anyone in Torbay who wants to find out: more about domestic abuse and violence; how to access local help and support services and how to support someone experiencing abuse or violence.
CAB provides free, confidential and independent advice to help people overcome their problems. They are a voice for their clients and consumers on the issues that matter to them such as debt, benefits, family and housing problems.
Checkpoint provides a range of free and confidential information, advice and support services to children and young people aged 8–17. Services include drug and alcohol support, counselling, sexual health advice, child sexual exploitation (CSE) support, missing and runaway children support and Looked After Children advocacy.
Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
The Torbay Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service provides emotional and mental health assessment and treatment to children, young people, aged 0-18 years, and their families/carers. We offer support to professionals, such as school staff, GPs and school nurses who are working with children and young people within Torbay.
Children's Wellbeing Practitioners
A CWP is a trained professional to support a young person with their thoughts, feelings and behaviours. A CWP is trained in Low-intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Li-CBT) with children and young people. A CWP can offer 6-8 intervention sessions, which can be in groups, 1-1 or parent-led for some primary aged children.
Family Information Service (FIS) Directory
The FIS directory provides information for families and people working with them in Torbay. Family Intervention Team (FIT). Can be accessed via the Targeted Help Panel route.
Integrated Youth Support Service (IYSS)
The IYSS support the achievements and challenges that young people may face by ensuring that children receive the best services and support possible. They work closely with Careers South West, Checkpoint, Mental Health Teams (Adult and Child), Housing, Police, Probation, and the Voluntary Sector to support the following groups:
- Looked After Children and Care Leavers from 15 to 21 years or up to 25 years if in full time education to prepare for independence.
- Young people involved with youth justice services including both pre-court and court interventions to reduce crime in the community.
- Young people who have been referred for additional support by the Early Help Service so that we can respond early to identify difficulties.
An early intervention service providing evidence based, mental health support to children and young people experiencing common mental health difficulties. Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) are trained to provide 1 : 1 and group support in education settings for children and young people experiencing anxiety, low mood and other issues with their emotional wellbeing and mental health. Ask your designated Mental Health Lead in your school for more information.
The Torbay School Nursing team is comprised of specialist practitioners, qualified registered nurses, nursery nurses and administrators. The School Nurse team provide a number of services to 0-19 year olds, for example:
- Health screening for all reception children
- Carry out the immunisation programme for 5-19 year olds
- Offer height and weight measurements as per the national child measurement programme
- Hold drop in sessions for young people / parents / carers
Torbay Domestic Abuse Service (TDAS)
TDAS is an outcome focused domestic abuse service for high and medium risk victims, survivors and members of their household including children. The service will enable people to make informed choices about their safety, health, housing and other identified individual needs. Referrals for children under 17 years must be through the Torbay MASH. Young people aged 16-24 years can self-refer or be referred by a professional.
Torbay Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)
Torbay’s MASH aims to provide a more consistent, timely and co-ordinated multi-agency response to individual situations relating to welfare and safeguarding concerns to children and young people. The intent is to improve the quality of information sharing between agencies in order that decision making can be both more effective and more robust.
Torbay Young Carers service support children and young people under 18 years who look after a member of the family who is sick, disabled, has mental health problems or has a drug or alcohol problem. They will meet with the young carer to discuss their needs and develop a support plan. They also provide advice and support for organisations working with children and young people to address young carer’s issues and make services more accessible to young carers.
Two of Torbay’s key services for children and young people, Torbay Youth Service and Young Carers Service, have transferred to the Torbay Youth Trust. The TYT supports children, young people and families, working closely with Children’s Services to identify and support those most in need. Torbay Youth Trust is committed to developing relationships of trust with children and young people and to enabling them to have a strong voice in their communities.
To access their events and support, visit their Facebook page
Community, voluntary and social enterprise services:
The Apricot Centre (CIC) Wellbeing Service for Children and Families works with young people and families ‘on the edge of potential’. They think that wherever there are trouble and difficulties, creative solutions can also be found. They offer a range of specialist therapies, assessments, and also less intensive farm activities which foster wellbeing in South Devon.
Brixham Youth Enquiry Service (Yes@thedge)
The Brixham Youth Enquiry Service was founded in 1996 and has since strived to welcome and engage young people aged 8 to 25 and their families. They provide information, support and activities based around building confidence and self-worth, enabling young people to make a positive difference in their town.
Family Advice Support Team (FAST)
Family Advice Support Team (FAST) CIC is a Community Interest Company limited by guarantee, founded by a small team of professionals with over 30 years of specialist experience, offering bespoke support to families (both parents and children, including those with disabilities) through a variety of interventions as well as one-to-one and group work.
Imagine is a multi-cultural group whose activities aim to provide benefit to peoples from ethnic communities/groups/individuals and the wider community living in Torbay. They do this through championing cultural diversity via social events, workshops, training and professional/personal development.
Motivated by the Christian faith LiNX seek to provide a credible resource to secondary schools, supporting young people in every aspect of their development: emotional, social, relational & spiritual. They offer lessons in RE/PSHE/SRE, deliver small groups & offer general support to the school community.
Pinpoint Community Services in Devon
A community service directory for wider Devon (including Plymouth and Torbay) with a very good search function.
Play Torbay is a small, dynamic, voluntary sector organisation championing children’s play across the Bay. They offer free, exciting play opportunities and programmes of adventurous activities in partnership with organisations, parents and local people. “You can learn more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation” Plato 350bc.
The South Devon YMCA is a not-for-profit organisation that works autonomously from other YMCAs. They serve young people, their families and the communities of Torbay and the South Hams. In addition to other services, they provide support for young people that have been excluded or are at risk of being excluded, by providing them support with their emotional and social needs. They also support those whose particular needs mean that they fall between a mainstream and specialist school.
Is a Community Interest Company (CIC) providing interventions designed to support families and help children achieve the best outcomes possible. They run grant funded projects as well as offer opportunities for bespoke training, support, advice and various interventions to social care professionals, schools and parents. The main areas they specialise in are: parenting. (group and 1-1. PPP, Nurture and Incredible Years), family support and school attendance.
Torbay Advice Network is a quality assured Charity which supports the advice and information sector in Torbay. They also provide front-line support for communities and practitioners via bespoke training and advocacy covering issues such as, welfare reforms, tax credits, which benefits, disability transition, income maximisation, autism, challenging behaviour, employment law, dementia and many more social, personal and welfare workshops.
Private services:
Southwest Intervention Service
The Southwest Intervention Service provides interventions for children and young people which include: emotional resilience, protective behaviours, anger management and interventions to help avoid school exclusions. Services are provided at a cost.
The Thrive Approach (differs from iThrive Commissioning Approach) draws on insights from these fields to provide a powerful way of working with children and young people that supports optimal social and emotional development. In particular, the Approach equips you to work in a targeted way with children and young people who have struggled with difficult life events to help them re-engage with life and learning.