Advice and support 11 to 16

Healthy Minds Wiltshire

The On Your Mind website has lots of information, practical tips and advice about supporting children and young people's emotional wellbeing.  The service is there to help young people aged 5-18 registered with a GP in Wiltshire who are experiencing a range of early mental health difficulties through group work, activities in the community and counselling sessions for those young people who need more intensive support.  We are also an all year round service and so our support does not stop in school holidays.

• for advice, information and signposting 
• for positive activities both online and in person, with a wellbeing focus 
• therapy (including online) 
• decider skills workshops - these are groups (occasionally delivered one to one if needed) that are based on CBT/DBT, the aim is to help children and young people deal with different emotions and tolerate distress, developing coping strategies etc. 

For more information about what HCRG offers and how to contact/self-refer, call 0300 247 0090 (option 4) or visit:

On your mind: Wiltshire Children and Young People Emotional Wellbeing Service (opens new window)

Wiltshire SHOUT 

Wiltshire residents can text WILTS to 85258 to access free, confidential mental health support from a trained volunteer who will aim to get them to a safe and calm place. This will include coming up with a plan around how they are going to support themselves moving forward, and signposting to local support agencies where appropriate. They can help with anxiety and stress, depression or sadness, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, panic attacks, loneliness or isolation, abuse and bullying.

This service is available to Wiltshire residents of all ages, it is available 24/7 and won't appear on the bill.

You may be giving emotional support, or have to keep a close eye on the person you care for. Caring for someone can be demanding, and being identified as a carer can be important to get the support you need to continue in your caring role.

For more information visit:

Carer support 

Citizens Advice provides free, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities, for example consumer rights or applying for benefits.

For further details visit: Citizen Advice.

Wiltshire Centre for Independent Living (CIL) provide a range of services to support disabled people who live or work in the county. They also provide disability advice, information and training to interested organisations, professionals or individuals.

They are based in centrally-placed, accessible premises in Devizes but are also happy to visit you in your home, at your convenience.

For further details visit Wiltshire Centre For Independent Living (opens new window).

If you are worried about symptoms or would like any sexual health or contraception service please contact your GP practice or a local Pharmacist. You can also contact WiSe (Wiltshire Sexual Health) by emailing shc-tr.Sexualhealth@nhs.net (opens new window).

WiSe - Wiltshire Sexual Health

WiSe is a free, non-judgemental and confidential NHS service in Wiltshire. Sexual health clinics are provided by WiSe at Salisbury Foundation Trust, providing a range of services including STI testing and treatment, contraception and HIV services in Wiltshire. More service information can be found by clicking the link below.

Wiltshire Sexual Health Service (WiSe) (opens new window)

No Worries

No Worries is a young people's sexual health and contraception service for Wiltshire residents aged 13-24 years old. The free and confidential service is available at participating venues across Wiltshire.

For more information and to find out which GPs and Pharmacies provide the service, see Sexual health.

Connect - Turning Point

The Wiltshire Substance Use Service works with residents of all ages, offering support and education to people who want to address their substance use, offering support to the wider family network too. This support is free and confidential and can be delivered either in hub or in the community whilst maintaining high levels of confidentiality. 

For self referral and further information visit:

Turning Point: Connect Wiltshire (opens new window)

You can also find more advice and support from services like The Wrap (opens new window).

The main Wiltshire Council website also provides more information on substance use, and where you can go for support. For more information visit:

Drug and alcohol use

Another source of advice and help is the Talk to FRANK website (opens new window) which provides information on types of drugs, the impacts and where you can go for help.

Dynamic support registers (DSRs) and Care (Education) and Treatment Reviews (C(E)TRs) are essential elements of the pathway providing people with a learning disability and autistic people with appropriate support and care at the right time - so that they can lead the lives they want to and meet their ambitions and aspirations; and can stay safely and healthily in the community or return to this as soon as possible.

The purpose of the Dynamic Support Register (DSR) is to identify people who with appropriate, proactive intervention and support can be prevented from unnecessary or inappropriate admission to mental health or specialist hospitals.

The DSR process enables an opportunity for communication where a person's support needs can be reviewed, and issues escalated where appropriate.

To find out more visit Dynamic Support Register.

FearFree are the domestic abuse support service in Wiltshire. They provide trauma-informed, person-centred support to victims of domestic abuse and their families. They provide this support to both adults and children who are victims of, or have been impacted by domestic abuse.

For support and further information visit:

FearFree (opens new window)

Advocacy services are designed to give you impartial support in a range of situations. This may be to help formalise a child or young persons voice in a discussion or decision-making process. They are also a key aspect of mediation and legal proceedings when required.

For further details visit: Advocacy services.

Wiltshire Council provides a range of sessions on parenting across various ages and specialities, for example the SWAPP courses for autism and parenting.

SWAPP is a partnership programme between parents and their child's setting or school that aims to build an understanding of autism and the challenges and delights it can present.

The programme aims to empower families and staff who are closely involved in supporting a child or young person with autism.

Sessions cover all aspects of autism including communication, sensory issues and behaviour.

Visit Autism Parent Programme - SWAPP for more information and booking details.

For further parenting programme details visit Parenting Programmes.

The digital platform that connects people, groups and organisations in Wiltshire to their community. It features support, volunteering, group listings and relevant events.

Wiltshire Together (opens new window)

For information about Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Support accessible to military service personal and their families in Wiltshire visit:

SEND support 0 - 25 and the Military

Getting online and engaging with the digital world is an important part of modern life. It is increasingly how we access and engage with our services, where we find information, and how we communicate with each other. On this page you will find information on how to get online in Wiltshire, safely, and where to get support.

Getting online safely