Health and wellbeing

Our Leaving Care Team and your personal adviser will support you to stay healthy and look after your physical and mental health.

We can give you information about:

• healthy living
• counselling services

We will support you to:

• register with a GP
• move from CAMHS to adult services

Any costs relating to your health such as prescriptions and transport to appointments you can discuss with your personal adviser.

Your health needs

After your last health assessment and before you leave care, we will give you a letter with a summary of your health needs. This will include:

• recent health issues
• immunisations you have had
• contact details for other services you might need

This might be from your looked after children nurse, school nurse or health visitor. You will get two copies, one for you and one to give to your personal adviser, if you want to. We will also send a copy to your doctor.

If you live in East Lancashire (Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale) or Central Lancashire (Preston, Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancs) you can get support from the looked after children nurse up to the age of 24. Speak to your personal adviser about this.

Ask Jan mental health support

If you're aged 18 to 25 your personal adviser can refer you to a service called 'Ask Jan' for counselling services and other support.

• 24-hour counselling helpline - direct and immediate access to a BACP accredited counsellor
• Up to 8 face to face counselling sessions per issue with a BACP accredited counsellor
• Nutrition, exercise, stress and wellbeing advice
• Access to My Possible Self App
• Online cognitive behavioural therapy
• Housing, financial and legal advice

Ask your personal adviser for more information.

Exercise

Some leisure centres offer free and subsidised memberships for care leavers aged 16-25. Contact your personal adviser for more details.

More information and advice

Sex and relationships - advice and support, including contraception and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Drink and drugs - advice and support for alcohol and drug issues.

Health and fitness - advice and services to reduce your risk of illness by being active and eating well.

Mental health - resources that support you to improve your mental health and wellbeing and find local or national support.

Staying mentally well - advice on sleeping well, reducing stress, and five ways that you can manage your wellbeing.

Other organisations that provide information and advice:

• ChatHealth - a confidential texting service for young people aged 11-19 giving advice and support with physical and emotional health. If you have a question, text 07507 330 509.
• NHS - find a GP, find an NHS dentist, or find information about help with health costs from the The NHS Business Services Authority.
• YoungMinds - information about some common feelings and mental health symptoms, how to cope, and where to go to get help.