We are a team that see children and young people up to the age of 18 years. We support people who need help with their thoughts, feelings and emotions.
We see people with complex and longer term mental health needs that are stopping them from doing the things they want to do and living a full life. These might be things such as not going to school, not looking after yourself, struggling with relationships at home or in school that may make you angry and upset, obsessive and repeating behaviour such as thoughts that make you feel out of your control and/or hearing voices in your head that aren’t your own.
We work with you to understand what matters to you and identify your goals. These goals may be how you change things to be safer or go to the shops without worrying, not hurting yourself when you feel overwhelmed, managing anger and dealing with stresses and worries. We also support you with other goals such as managing eating difficulties, identity and relationships with our bodies, feeling sad all of the time and not doing what we want to do, personal relationships or understanding how your neurodiversity affects your mental health.
The team is made up of:
If you’re feeling you need support with your mental health, your GP, social worker, school nurse, paediatrician or a teacher from your school can refer you to our team. Somebody from our team will look at the referral to see if we can offer you the help you need.
Sometimes there are other services that may be more helpful to you and we will write you a letter and let you know.
If we think you need our help we will invite you to a choice appointment where you will meet with one of our team who will ask you lots of questions to find out how things are for you such as school, family life, social life and friendships including your worries. Your first appointment will take around one and half hours and you will have the opportunity to speak to us on your own and with your family and carers.
You can choose to have your family or someone to support you in your appointments if you feel this would help you. We understand if can be difficult to talk to people you don’t know about your thoughts and feelings and you are welcome to bring any distraction objects with you that you may feel help to make you more comfortable. You are also always given the option to speak to us while your parents or carers waits in the waiting room.
From your choice appointment, we will help you to decide if our service is going to be the most helpful for you as there may be help from another service available or we may invite you to a partnership appointment.
A partnership appointment is a 1:1 meeting with your named clinician and your family if you choose. Appointments are usually an hour long and either weekly or fortnightly and may vary depend on who you are seeing. We use different resources in the sessions including self-help guides, videos, art and crafts and things you can take away to do in-between sessions.
The appointment will be a talking therapy. You can find out more about therapies by following this link: (link to therapies page).
We will work with you and support you to complete a safety plan that will help to reduce any thoughts or triggers you may have so you can feel more in control. The safety plan may include ideas for:
Our team is based in Llandudno Hospital. We try and see you face to face but we do offer online sessions as well depending on your needs or circumstances.
Parking can be difficult, there is a big car park available around the back of the building which can be accessed by driving past the main entrance and taking the next right by the 10mph sign.
If you park at the front of the hospital… Come into the main entrance, you can ask at the main reception and follow the overhead signs to CAMHS.
If you park at the back of the hospital… come into the red door (x-ray entrance) and follow the signs to main reception and then onto CAMHS.
CAMHS is located on the first floor (upstairs) and there is a lift available to use if you need it.
When you get to the front door of CAMHS there is a buzzer/intercom to use for you to say your name and someone will buzz you in. This will let reception know you have arrived and they will let your clinician know you are waiting.
The waiting area is located on the left hand side when you arrive. If you have been waiting for longer than 10 minutes for your appointment, please let someone in reception know and they will chase this for you.