ECHO launches to provide earlier mental health support for children and young people

A mental health service for children, young people and their families called ECHO (standing for Every Child Heard and Offered support), has launched across Warwickshire

ECHO will provide earlier support and improved access to community-based mental health care. Designed to help children and young people get the right support before difficulties escalate, the service is available for young people up to the age of 18, and up to 25 for those with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

ECHO will support children and young people experiencing lower-level mental health and emotional wellbeing challenges, including:

  • Feeling anxious or worried

  • Struggling with stress or low mood

  • Having friendship or school difficulties

  • Finding emotions difficult to manage

  • Needing coping strategies and early support

Support available through ECHO may include counselling, advice and guidance, consultation support for parents and professionals, and signposting to other services such as bereavement support.

The service is funded by Warwickshire County Council (WCC) in partnership with NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) and is delivered by Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind (CWW Mind). As part of the ECHO service, CWW Mind is also working in partnership with Guardian Ballers, the Anna Freud Centre, Relationships Coventry and Warwickshire, and Lifespace Trust to give children and their families greater flexibility and choice in the support they receive.

The service launched on 3rd August, and from now it will be easier for families to access early mental health support as children, young people and their carers can easily self-refer to ECHO online or over the phone. Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust (CWPT) Children and Young People's Services – Mental Health (previously known as Rise) will continue to provide specialist mental health services for children and young people with more complex needs.

Anyone can access support from ECHO for a child or young person.

Tel: 02476 631835 (lines are open Monday to Thursday 9am to 4.30pm and Friday 9am to 4pm) or visit www.echosupport.org.uk.

For families that want to understand more about ECHO and the mental health support available for young people in Warwickshire, read the Frequently Asked Questions at www.echosupport.org.uk/faqs/.

The Herbert Protocol

Caring for vulnerable people, including those with dementia or Alzheimer's, can be challenging

There's a risk they can at some point start to 'walk about'. This may only be into the garden or street for a short time, but some people can get lost and go missing.

So planning ahead to keep them safe is really important.

The Herbert Protocol is a form that carers, family or friends of a vulnerable person, or the person themselves can fill in.

It contains a list of information to help the police if the person goes missing, including:

  • medication required

  • mobile numbers

  • places previously located

  • a recent photograph

You'll find the form at the bottom of this page.

Keeping a completed form saves the worry of trying to recall the information during the stressful time of someone going missing. It also saves time for the police, allowing the search to start sooner.

The initiative is named after George Herbert, a war veteran of the Normandy landings, who lived with dementia. He died whilst 'missing', trying to find his childhood home.

herbert protocol form

Brunswick Hub Emergency Chilled Food Parcels

The Brunswick Hub has some funding available to support households in our area with their Emergency Chilled Food parcels

These are available for a crisis situation where a family can find themselves without food or money and are shopped to dietary requirements and preferences.  The parcel typically includes Milk, Bread, Eggs, Butter, Ham, Cheese and Frozen meat or fish.

Referrals can be accepted from either member of staff at the surgery or from families themselves.

For more information, call them on 01926 422123 or pop into the hub on 98-100 Shrubland Street, Leamington Spa, CV31 3BD

MHST - Free Summer Mental Health Workshops for Children and Families

Upcoming, free Summer Mental Health Workshops for children, young people, and families.

These workshops are designed to provide practical support, promote emotional wellbeing, and equip families with strategies to manage common mental health challenges during the summer holidays.

The workshops cover topics such as:

  • 5 Ways to Wellbeing

  • Transitions (aimed for current Year 6’s moving to Secondary school)

  • Calm – a worry workshop for families

 

These workshops provide an excellent opportunity for families to access early support in a welcoming and accessible environment, helping to improve wellbeing before concerns become more significant.

New radio station to support people living with dementia

Music for Dementia has launched m4d Radio, a free online radio station designed for people living with dementia and their carers

Available 24/7 on internet-enabled devices, the advert-free station offers familiar music from the 1930s to the 1970s, with programmes tailored to support wellbeing throughout the day. 

listen here

Our community page on our website

a reminder of Our Community page on our website.

If you click on this tab, it will give you 3 options:

  • Community Events

  • Community Professional Services

  • Community Social Groups

If you click on ‘Community Events’ tab, it will bring you to the following screen

This page will bring up lots of local community events that we have been made aware of. If you are aware of any upcoming events that you think would be good for us to promote, there is a link above this yellow box that says ‘Click to submit a new event or group’.

If you click on the box that says ‘Community Professional Services’, it will bring up this page:

This page contains the names and contact details of lots of different community support groups, these groups are colour coded by the type of support on offer. You can see above, for example, that bereavement support is purple, and mental health support is turquoise. There are also groups for autism support, domestic abuse support, seniors support, drug and alcohol addiction support and pregnancy support to name a few.

If you click on the box that says ‘Community Social Groups’, it will bring up the page below:

This page contains information on local groups within the community, such as the Armed Forces & Veterans Club and the Chatty Cafe, that run out of The Community Hub & Cafe at Galanos House. If you are aware of any existing or new community groups that are not on our page already, that you think would be good for us to promote, there is a link above this yellow box that says ‘Click to submit a new event or group’.

Bowls for Health - 7th July 2026, 6:15pm-8pm

Avon Valley Indoor Bowls Club will be running another Bowls for Health course, starting on 7th July from 6:15pm - 8:00pm

This is a 6 week free coaching course, guiding you on how to grip the bowl, the delivery process, gameplay and etiquette.

The only requirement is that you take a clean pair of shoes!

For more information you can: