New online youth mental wellbeing hub ‘Branch’ goes live across the Wirral

Children and young people in Wirral can now access help for their mental wellbeing via a new online hub and local support team. Named by the young people themselves, the new site, ‘Branch’, aims to help families before a child hits crisis point.

Branch brings together public sector, not-for-profit and other mental health organisations to tackle challenges in the system, reduce wait times and get young people into the right support more easily.

Cllr Stephen Bennett, Chair of Children, Families and Education committee for Wirral Council, said:

“Every parent wants the best for their child but sometimes it’s hard to know where to turn for guidance. Mental wellbeing is such a challenging area for many families, and we must find better and faster ways to support our young people.

“Along with our partners I’m glad to launch Branch, a project which is very much leading the way nationally in terms of redesigning how mental wellbeing support, and access to it, operates.”

Funded by Wirral Council and the NHS, Branch brings together Wirral’s mental wellbeing services digitally through a new online hub. The hub offers easy access to information and a clear route into the right support for those aged up to 18 (or up to 25 for young people with SEND).

In addition, the team behind Branch will promote preventative support including strategies and techniques young people can do at home, local support groups and more targeted therapy-based projects, matching young people into the services that best meet their needs.

Branch is now live and open to all children and young people, families, carers and professionals. The simple-to-use website acts as a first port of call, allowing anyone who is concerned about a child or young person’s mental wellbeing to access support.

Find more information about Branch here.

Find all the latest for the Wirral here.