Mental health support
The first port of call for physical, emotional or mental health needs for any resident should be their own GP, who will provide the all-important continuity of care, and will signpost to more specialist services.
If you are affected by the Grenfell Tower fire, either directly or indirectly, and in need of mental health support or psychological therapy you can call a Single Point of Access dedicated NHS response service number where you can get access to mental health support services as well as information and advice 24 hours a day.
The number to call is 0800 0234 650 or email cnw-tr.spa@nhs.net.
Through the NHS 111 service, GP appointments are also available if needed at the St Charles Centre for Health and Wellbeing Integrated Care Centre, Exmoor Street, London W10 6DZ.
The health outreach team is able to visit people at their place of residence, or at another location of their choosing, such as a local community centre. Non-urgent referrals can be made to the outreach team by calling 07712 231 133. This is a direct line to the team at the Grenfell Assistance Centre, who will organise a non-urgent visit. The team can visit the patient on the day of the referral or the following day. Alternatively, referrals can be emailed to cnw-tr.westway@nhs.net.
If you are worried about your mental health as a result of this event please see this NHS trauma leaflet (PDF, 50.2KB, 2 pages) It outlines common reactions, simple suggestions for how to cope and ways in which children may be supported to cope during the next few days.
Many symptoms may be a normal response to a terrible experience and will reduce over time. If your symptoms are severe and you are in distress or they last longer than 4 weeks, this may indicate the need for support from a mental health professional. The information on the NHS Choices website will outline possible symptoms and describe how to seek help. Please visit your GP who will be able to provide advice and refer you on to the appropriate local NHS mental health service for assessment and treatment.
If you are under 18, or concerned about someone who is under 18, please look on NHS Choices for your local children and young people’s mental health service. Children and young people may also access NHS help by visiting their GP, and schools may be able to provide support or refer them to local services.
Samaritans offers emotional support round the clock. Anyone can contact Samaritans in confidence at any time for free from any phone on 116 123 (even if you don’t have credit on your mobile). This number will not show up on your phone bill.
Or you can text 07725 90 90 90 or email jo@samaritans.org or go to www.samaritans.org to find your nearest branch where you can talk to someone face to face.
Mental health and emotional support for young people
The Grenfell Tower fire has left lots of young people worried and upset. If a young person in your family or who you care for has been affected, either directly or indirectly, there are lots of services available to help.
Support for children
If you are a parent, relative, friend or teacher of a child affected by the Grenfell Tower fire, you may have questions about how to support them.
You can download a leaflet which includes:
guidance on how a child might behave or react after a tragic event
ideas for how you can support them
advice on explaining to a child what happened
contact details for organisations that you can talk to
Download the leaflet (PDF, 384 KB) online at www.rbkc.gov.uk/localoffer.
More information on supporting your children after a frightening event can be found here.
Frequently asked questions about caring for children after a tragic event can be found here.
Support over the phone
Young people under 25 can call Childline on 0800 1111 and have a one-to-one chat with a supportive, trained counsellor anytime, day or night.
Young people can also call the Samaritans helpline on 116 123. The line is open 24 hours a day.
The British Red Cross helpline is also available to anyone who has been affected by the Grenfell Tower fire. For practical or emotional support please call the helpline on 0800 458 9472. The line is open from 8am to 8pm.
Online services
Kooth.com is a free online counselling service for children aged 11 to 19.
NHS Go provides health information for young people under the age of 25, including advice on coping with stress after a major incident.
Community organisations
The Good Grief Trust aims to ensure that young people can talk to someone and get free, confidential support. A programme of events will be taking place this summer to allow young people to have fun and receive one-to-one support if they have been affected by the Grenfell Tower fire. Details of these events will be shared in the near future.
Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre
contact Susan Rudnik at s.rudnik@gold.ac.uk or call 07932 054 834.
Schools, youth clubs, play centres and children’s centres
Local children’s centres and other childcare locations are able to offer advice and support for families, including helping families access counselling services.
Support for disabled children and children with learning difficulties
Full of Life Kensington and Chelsea website
Extra support available
If you think a child or young person is in need of more support than can be provided by the services above, you can call the dedicated NHS response line on 0800 0234 650 or email cnw-tr.spa@nhs.net. This is available 24 hours a day. Please let the operator know you are calling as a result of the Grenfell Tower fire.
Turning Point have a Friends and Family team in place to offer free and confidential support to people who have been affected by someone else's drinking or drug taking. Visit their website here to find a service near you.
The Advocacy Project
The Advocacy Project is an independent charity based in Ladbroke Grove providing Independent Mental Health Advocacy for residents of both Westminster and RBKC. They support residents of the borough to access mental health services, raise issues of concern with services and support people to speak up. Attached is a copy of their Book of Services, which is a guide compiled by their Different Voices group, with input from service users who access local mental health resources. The Book features local organisations and support services that have been recommended or researched by service users. It has been widely welcomed by those who have accessed support through its use and also by the people who work with service users in a variety of settings; from people in hospital to those in the community.
They have now compiled an insert to the Book of Services highlighting a number of additional services that may be of support to those affected by the Grenfell fire.
They have been consulting with Central and North West London NHS Trust to identify what additional services or resources are being considered by the Trust and to see how best residents will be able to access these services. They are aware that the list of local services continues to change, along with the needs of local residents. They are also aware that the insert is written in English and would be happy to try and identify translation resources that would be most useful for residents.
Bereavement support
Cruse Bereavement Care is a national charity for bereaved people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Cruse offers support to adults, young people and children when someone dies, whatever the circumstances. They offer face-to-face, telephone, email and website support.
Their free phone helpline is 0808 808 1677 and is open Monday to Friday 9:30am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays), with extended hours to 8pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. You can also email them on helpline@cruse.org.uk.
A Red Cross helpline is in action to help give practical or emotional support to anyone who needs it and capacity of this is being expanded to give people a central point of contact. The number is 0800 458 9472 - available 8am to 8pm. Out of these hours, messages can be left on an answerphone which will be picked up and responded to at 8am.
People who wish to contact relatives overseas and have no means of doing so can call the Red Cross on 0800 458 9472, or email their tracing service tracing@redcross.org.uk.