Service overview
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) has partnered with selected GP surgeries to introduce new Children and Young People (CYP) Mental Health Support roles. These roles make it easier and quicker for young people under 18 and their families to access expert advice and support for mental health, emotional wellbeing, and neurodiversity.
CAMHS Mental Health Practitioners at these GP surgeries will offer consultations and mental health assessments by phone, online, or in person. They will provide highly specialised advice, care, or information to help children and young people access the support that is right for them.
You can access this service by contacting one of the GP surgeries partnered with CAMHS (contact details can be found under contact us). Please note, the practitioners don't offer ADHD or autism assessments, but we can help you find the support options we think will work best for you.
Accessing our service
You or your child may be a little worried about coming to your appointment, but it’s normal to feel a little anxious about meeting new people and being unsure of what to expect. We will make you feel as comfortable as possible when you visit our service, taking things at a pace that feels right for you in a non-judgemental environment.
At the appointment, you will meet with our CAMHS Mental Health Practitioner, who will do an assessment, or may offer a consultation. They will ask you and your child a range of questions that will better help them to understand your child’s current situation and the issues you are experiencing. From this they can find the best ways to help you and your child.
Book an appointment with a CAMHS Mental Health Practitioner by contacting your GP surgery directly.
At your appointment, you’ll have the chance to talk through the difficulties or challenges being experienced.
Together, we'll decide on the best next steps. This might include helpful information or resources, support options and how to access them, or a referral to another service if needed.
Preparing for an assessment
During your assessment, we’ll listen to your experiences, give you helpful information, and if needed complete a mental health assessment. This might happen in person, over the phone, or via video call. In-person appointments are usually held at your GP surgery.
You might find it useful to write down how you have been feeling and what you have been experiencing before you come to your appointment so it’s easier to answer the questions.
You don’t have to answer all the questions that you are asked, and there will be plenty of chance for you to ask them any questions too.
Overall, this appointment is just so that we can get a better understanding of who you are and your situation. From this, we'll decide if our services in CAMHS will help you, or if there other more appropriate services available they can connect you to.
If there is anything you would prefer to discuss in private, or do not want the practitioner to discuss in the appointment, please call the surgery beforehand to either discuss this with the practitioner or pass this information along.
Some of the assessment questions might include:
- What difficulties are you currently experiencing?
- How long has the problem been around?
- What is life like at school, and with family and friends?
- What were you like when you were growing up?
- How has your mood been recently?
- Have you been feeling low or stressed?
- What would you like to change or achieve by coming to us?
- Are you, or is anyone around you, worried about your safety? For example, (depending on age) when a young people is struggling, sometimes it’s normal for them to find life difficult and have thoughts about harming themselves or not wanting to be alive.
- Are you, or is anyone around you, worried about your safety?
Managing your health
To find out more about who we are, how our service works, and the ways we can support you, please view our CAMHS in GP Surgeries leaflet.
CAMHS In GP Surgeries Leaflet
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Your e-Health Passport
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Learn moreContact us and FAQs
University Medical Group
Contact number: 0118 987 4551 Please refer to GP for opening hours
University Medical Group websiteBrookside Group Practice
This covers Brookside Surgery, Chalfont Surgery, Winnersh Surgery, and Wilderness Road Surgery
Contact number: 0118 966 9333 Please refer to GP for opening hours
Brookside Group Practice websiteWindsor Primary Care Network
Lee House Surgery: 0175 386 1612 Clarence Medical Centre: 0175 386 5773 Datchet Health Centre: 0175 354 1268 Runnymede Medical Practice: 0178 443 7671 Sheet Street Surgery: 0175 386 0335 South Meadow Surgery: 0175 386 4545
Runnymede Medical Practice websiteSlough LOCC
Langley, Orchard, Chapel, and Cippenham (LOCC) covers: Langley Health Centre: 0175 354 4288 The Orchard Surgery: 0175 354 2424 Chapel Medical Centre: 0300 024 0001 Cippenham Surgery: 0175 353 2006
Langley Health Centre websiteFrequently asked questions
How long is my appointment?
Your first appointment usually lasts around one hour. If you need more time or a follow-up appointment, your CAMHS Mental Health Practitioner will discuss this with you.
Who attends the appointment with me?
It’s common for your parent or carer to attend with you. This helps them understand more about you, your home life, and how we can support you.
Having your parents or carers involved can also help you feel more supported. They can help you with things like getting to your appointments, talking to your school, and communicating your needs.
If you’d prefer to come alone, let your CAMHS Mental Health Practitioner know before your appointment by contacting your GP surgery. Whether this is possible depends on your age and the type of support you need.
You can also ask what will be kept private and what needs to be shared with your parents or carers. That way you can feel more comfortable sharing at appointments.
If your parents aren’t involved, it’s still a good idea to have some support. Speak to a sibling, friend, partner or trusted adult about what’s happening so they can help.
How can I prepare for my first appointment?
Feeling prepared can help you to feel calmer about your first appointment. You don't need to do lots of preparation.
Before your appointment, it could help to:
- Write things down – try writing what you've been feeling or experiencing, how long it's been going on and what you think you need help with.
- Think of ways you want to share – you might prefer to read out something you've written down, talk freely, or maybe a bit of both.
- Talk to people you trust – tell them how you're feeling about your first appointment and how they can support you leading up to it.
- Plan ahead – think of what you need to do to be ready. This could be knowing who you're meeting, where you're meeting, and making sure you've packed a drink and notepad.
- Try to make time for things you enjoy – plan something enjoyable before or after, like seeing a friend or playing a game.
What is the Common Point of Entry Team?
The CAMHS Common Point of Entry Team (CPE) is one of the main ways referrals are managed. If you’ve already seen a CAMHS Mental Health Practitioner at your GP surgery, you don’t need a separate referral to CPE, they provide the same initial support and assessment.
What if I have physical health concerns?
If you’re experiencing physical health concerns or pain management, including those related to eating disorders, you’ll need to see your GP or another relevant professional first.
They’ll check your physical health and, if needed, refer you to a CAMHS Mental Health Practitioner for emotional or mental health support. For example: “my child is very anxious, they are refusing to go to school, and they are experiencing stomach aches”.
Can CAMHS Mental Health Practitioners prescribe medication?
No, CAMHS Mental Health Practitioners do not prescribe medication. If you or your child is already prescribed psychotropic and/or sleep medication by the GP, then you will need to book an appointment with your GP or relevant medical staff.
What about autism, ADHD or neurodiverse-related queries?
The CAMHS Mental Health Practitioner can provide advice and support for children and young people who are neurodiverse or suspected to be. However, practitioners do not offer assessments for autism or ADHD.
Autism and ADHD are not described as a mental health difficulty. However, some young people with autism and/or ADHD might also experience mental health or emotional wellbeing issues. Children and young people with autism and/or ADHD can frequently experience anxiety due to their difficulties in dealing with what’s going on around them.
For anything related to this, please follow the links below as the Autism Assessment team and the ADHD pathway are separate services to CAMHS.
What if I need urgent support?
If your child requires urgent out-of-hours mental health support, please call our urgent helpline on 0300 247 0000. This phone line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Your child should be taken to A&E (or call for an ambulance) if they require urgent medical attention that is life-threatening such as:
- Recent overdose (medication, harmful liquids etc)
- Significant cuts (deep cut(s) and/or bleeding profusely)
- Burns that are blistering/red
- Loss of consciousness
Please remember that 999 is for life-threatening medical emergencies only. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.
Other sources of support available are ChildLine on 0800 1111, or Samaritans on 116 123.
We can also help you with
Is there any information for friends, family and carers?
If you’re a family member/carer or you look after someone, there’s practical, financial, and emotional support available to you from a range of local communities and national organisations.
How do I request an interpreter?
We can provide language translation and interpretation support whenever you visit or contact us.
Tell our staff which language you prefer to use, and we will make sure the right communication support is in place for your assessment and treatment. Please let us know as early as possible so we can ensure the appropriate translation or interpreting support is available.
We offer a range of professional services to ensure everyone can understand and be understood:
- telephone interpreting
- video remote interpreting (VRI)
- face‑to‑face interpreting
- written translation
- British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting
How can I get information in an accessible format?
Anyone with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss has the right to receive information in a format that meets their needs. Under the Accessible Information Standard (AIS)—a legal requirement for all health and adult social care providers—we must ensure that people who use our services, including carers and families, can understand the information we provide and communicate effectively with us.
We can offer information in a range of accessible formats, including:
- British Sign Language (BSL)
- large print
- braille
- audio
- easy Read
- text message
- face‑to‑face support with a carer or advocate present
If you need information in any of these formats, please tell a member of our team and we will make sure your communication needs are met.
Are service dogs allowed to my appointment?
Yes. You are welcome to bring your registered service animal, such as a guide dog, hearing dog, medical alert dog, or other trained assistance dog to your appointment.
These animals are recognised as essential support and are permitted in most areas of our services.
To help us prepare, please let the team know before your appointment if you will be attending with a service animal. This allows us to make sure the environment is safe and comfortable for you, your animal, and other patients.
Please note that service animals may not be able to enter certain restricted clinical areas for safety or infection‑control reasons, but we will always work with you to find an appropriate alternative.
Treating our team with respect.
Respect is important.
We will be polite and kind and we expect that you treat our staff in the same way.
Abuse, hate and discrimination against our staff is unacceptable.
We will take strong action against anyone who is verbally, racially, physically, or sexually abusive to them.
This includes contacting the police to prosecute, and stopping future access to our healthcare services.
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