Your help and support offer
Section 8 - Your health
Your health matters to us. Being healthy does not mean just being physically healthy. It also means taking care of your mental, emotional and sexual health. There are plenty of resources available to support you with all aspects of being healthy.
- There is a lot of information on this page so please take your time to read all the information below.
Your health team
You should already have a relationship with the health team that supports our children in care (do your health assessments). You will no longer have health assessments once you turn 18yrs. The health team should meet with you around your 18th birthday and give you your health summary record, sometimes referred to as your ‘health passport’. If you do not receive this contact the children in care health team on 0121 466 3648 or email: bchnt.dutynursecic@nhs.net
The health team strives to ensure that appropriate information is shared, with your consent, across health and social care services, so that you experience a smooth transition to services that support adults. They should also provide any relevant updates to your GP. The health team will provide ongoing advice and guidance to support you to access the support you need.
Registering with a doctor
Your PA will support you to register with a GP (Doctor). We advise that you find a GP service that suits you and is near to where you live. You can look up GP surgeries to see what they offer and how they compare - use the link below. It is always a good idea to tell your PA who your GP is.
GO TO NHS 'FIND A DOCTOR' WEBSITE
Registering with a dentist and an optician
You should also register with a dentist and an optician. Your PA will help you with this and attend appointments if this is what you want. If you are getting welfare benefits you should be able to access free dental and optical care. They are also free if you are under 18yrs and/or in full-time education.
GO TO NHS 'FIND A DENTIST' WEBSITE
If you are awaiting asylum or appeal rights exhausted you will be supported to complete what is known as an HC2 certificate for help with health costs.
GO TO NHS 'HELP WITH HEALTH COSTS' WEBSITE
If you apply to the NHS Low Income Scheme and receive an HC2 certificate for help with health costs, you are entitled to:
- free NHS prescriptions
- free NHS dental treatment
- free NHS sight tests
- help with the cost of glasses or contact lenses
- help with the cost of travelling to receive NHS treatment
- free NHS wigs and fabric supports
Everyone is entitled to free prescriptions in the following circumstances:
- You're under 16 or over 60
- You're in full-time education and 16-18 years old
- You're pregnant or gave birth in the last 12 months and have a valid maternity exemption certificate (known as a 'MatEx'). It's valid for 12 months after your due date, though can be extended if your baby is born later than expected
- You have a valid medical exemption certificate (known as a 'MedEx') – given for a range of illnesses, such as epilepsy or cancer, or severe disability
- You or your partner receive income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, income-related employment & support allowance, or pension credit guarantee credit
- You're receiving universal credit and your earnings for the most recent assessment period were £435 or less
- You're under 20 and are the dependant of someone who receives income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, income-related employment & support allowance, pension credit guarantee credit. In some instances, you may also qualify if you claim universal credit
- You have a war pension exemption certificate
- You're an NHS inpatient
Or if you're entitled to or named on:
- A valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate – if you don't have a certificate, you can show your award notice
- An NHS certificate for partial help with health costs (HC3) which may also provide access to some assistance towards prescription costs. Find out more about the NHS Low Income Scheme (LIS) online
If none of these apply to you and you are aged between 18-25yrs you will still receive free prescriptions. This will be supported by you first getting a three-month pre-payment certificate. Your PA will support you to ensure you get your free prescriptions.
If you’re not eligible for free prescriptions NHS BSOL ICB have agreed a 12-month pilot to ensure all care leavers (18-25) receive free prescriptions, to be supported by providing a 3-month pre-payment prescription. This will be arranged via the designated nursing team.
Free prescriptions from Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (added February 2024)
- Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board will provide care leavers aged 16-25 years, who were supported by Birmingham and Solihull local authorities (including Birmingham Children's Trust) and are not eligible for free prescriptions, with a 12 month pre-payment prescription certificate.
- You can download an application form for the pre-payment prescription certificate here.
- For support with completing the form, please contact nhsbsolicb.childrenincare@nhs.net.
Mental health and emotional wellbeing support
We care about your emotional wellbeing. If you need someone to talk to about how you are feeling and your emotional help, we can help to access help and support.
Forward Thinking Birmingham (FTB) will offer you specialist mental health services up to the age of 25yrs if you need those. There are lots of different specialist services, such as multi-disciplinary crisis and home treatment teams, in-patient service for those really poorly, eating disorder service, infant mental health and perinatal (pre and post giving birth) service. FTB work with the Shaw Trust who can help young people being supported by FTB and keen to access employment. To access some of these services you will need to speak with your social worker or PA. You may also need your GP to refer you.
FTB offer a drop-in service provided by Pause. There are drop-in hubs in Digbeth and Sparkbrook. All the information you need is below.
GO TO PAUSE DROP-IN PAGE
TESS (Therapeutic and Emotional Support Service)
The Trust has its own Therapeutic and Emotional Support Service known as TESS that will offer you emotional wellbeing support until you are 25yrs of age. You can self-refer via phone or use the link below.
GO TO TESS PAGE
- You can contact TESS directly if you wish to talk with them. You can text, WhatsApp or phone them and they will call you back. WhatsApp us a message on 07867 358565 or 07864 927111. Their landline is 0121 303 7884.
If you need help and feel ready to access support, we will look to match you with a TESS practitioner to offer the support you need. We offer different types of support like counselling or CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), and resilience building.
TESS offers a regular drop-in service that takes a relaxed and informal approach. We meet on the first Wednesday of every month at 67 Bournbrook Road, Selly Oak, and you can talk with us at the Lighthouse in Lozells on the third Wednesday of the month. Their team are ready to receive you and offer you support. If you’re struggling to take those initial first steps to receive help, TESS offers a consultation service to your PA to help them think about how they can support you in the first instance.
Breaking the Cycle
The Trust has a service called Breaking the Cycle, which is a therapeutic service for people who have experienced the loss of a child through adoption. You can access this service if you have been in our care and need a safe space to talk about your loss and make sense of what has happened to you in the past. There are three different support offers (adult, pregnancy and parenting) so that individual’s needs are met. We will work with you at your pace. Therapeutic life story work is on offer if you wish to understand your past in a safe space. Support groups, coffee mornings, therapeutic parenting courses, stay and play groups are also available to you. Breaking the Cycle Service also offers dedicated help and support if you have been in our care and are pregnant/expecting a child. We will support you if you are aged 16-30yrs. We will support you throughout your pregnancy as we know this can an anxious time, especially for new parents. You will have your own therapeutic worker who will help you to ‘navigate’ your pregnancy, offering both emotional and practical support.
You can email: Breakingthecycle@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk
Lifelong Links
The Trust has a service called Lifelong Links that, if you want help, will support you to keep in contact or re-connect with relatives, friends and those that are important to you. You can access this service up until you are 25yrs. They will support you regardless of your circumstances, such as, if you are in custody. They understand that spending time in care can often lead to losing touch with important people, including friends, family, carers, neighbours, teachers or even pets! An independent Lifelong Links facilitator will work directly with you. They will ask you who you’d like to get in touch with and who from your past was important to you. The facilitator will then use a variety of search techniques to try and find them for you. Sometimes, everyone will come together at a Lifelong Links Family Group Conference to discuss how they can support you to get what you want and need. Talk to your PA and they will support you to access this service.
Rees Foundation - 'Ask Jan'
Ask Jan membership from the Rees Foundation can offer a whole range of support services if you meet their criteria. Talk to your PA and they will help you.
If you have completed our (the Trust’s) Next Steps Independent Programme you will be automatically signed up for free and can access:​
- A 24-hour counselling helpline with access to a BACP accredited counsellor
- Up to 8 face-to-face counselling sessions where assessed and agreed by the counsellor
- Personal finance advice – mortgages, pensions, insurance, debt, and savings
- Nutrition, exercise, stress and wellbeing advice
- Specialist advice helplines including housing, legal and citizens advice 8am to 8pm
- Access to an enhanced wellbeing App My Possible Self
- Cognitive behavioural therapy – available online or via the App
- Discounts and special offers on days out and activities with The Max Card
- Access to all other Rees Foundation projects
Other useful emotional wellbeing services
Mind
0300 123 3393 or text 86463
Samaritans
Email: jo@samaritans.org or call 116 123
GO TO SAMARITANS WEBSITE
Every Mind Matters
GO TO EVERY MIND MATTERS WEBSITE
Papyrus
Call 0800 068 41 41 or text 07786 209 697
Sane
Call 0300 304 7000
Kooth - an on-line wellbeing community
Sexual health
If you need any support with your sexual health talk to your PA and they will help you to access the services that you need. You can also talk to your GP. If you don’t feel comfortable asking for help you can get more information from Umbrella Health.
If you are having sex or thinking about it, please protect yourself against unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
Substance misuse
We can support you to access substance misuse (drug and alcohol) support if you need it. Talk to your PA and they can help you to access advice, information, drop-in services, structured treatment, counselling and/or harm reduction techniques.
Passport to Leisure and Be Active
It is good to keep fit and active. You are entitled to a Passport to Leisure (PTL) card, which gives you up to 20% off most activities in council-run leisure centres, wellbeing centres and swimming pools. The card also gives you discounts at some museums, theatres and other attractions in Birmingham. You can apply for your card online, and when you do you will be emailed a temporary membership number.
GO TO PASSPORT TO LEISURE APPLICATION
- Please make an appointment at your local centre to collect your card.
- If you live in Birmingham, you can also access the Be-Active scheme that provides free activities for anyone who lives in the city.
- View below the list of council leisure centres where the Be-Active scheme runs.
GO TO FREE SESSIONS AT CITY COUNCIL LEISURE CENTRES
- You may be eligible for free gym membership. You can only access this via your GP. It may be available through the Be-Active Plus Scheme, which is based on certain physical and mental health conditions.