Health and Wellbeing 16-20

You may be eligible for some financial support towards dental checks / treatment if you’re:

• Aged 16 to 18 years in full time education;

• Pregnant or have had a baby in the last 12 months;

• Having treatment as an in-patient or out-patient at an NHS hospital;

• Receiving income support, income based employment and support, or job seekers allowance;

• On a low income and have a health credit certificate (known as HC2 or HC3 certificate)

If you do not fall into any of these groups and you are worried about the costs of dental work which has been recommended to you, please talk to us and we can see what we can do to help you find a way forward.

You may also be eligible for free eye tests and vouchers towards glasses/contact lenses if you’re:

• Aged 16 to 18 and in full time education;

• Receiving income support, income based employment and support, or job seekers allowance;

• On a low income and have a health credit certificate (known as HC2 or HC3 certificate).

If you do not fall into any of these groups and you are worried about the costs of eye tests or glasses, please talk to us and we can see what we can do to help you find a way forward.

You are eligible for free prescriptions if you’re:

• Aged 16-18 and in full time education

• Receiving income support, income based employment and support, or job seekers allowance;

• Pregnant or have had a baby in the last 12 months (you will need an exemption certificate from your GP);

• Receiving treatment in hospital.

If you are not eligible for free prescriptions, but require a regular prescription, talk to us and we may be able to get you an NHS Prescription Prepayment Certificate, which will give you access to free prescriptions.

If you’re on a low income you can apply for a health credit certificate known as HC2 or HC3. 

This will give you reduced cost, or free dental and eye checks/treatment. This is dependent on your income and needs at the time you apply for support. A certificate can last from 6 months to 5 years depending on your circumstances. To find out more, ask your GP, dentist or optician, or ask your Leaving Care practitioner to help you apply.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

If you are open to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) before you turn 18, we will work with you and your CAMHS team to think about whether you need to transfer to an adult mental health service and if so, support this to happen.

If there are worries about your emotional well-being or mental health at any time, we can think with you about what is going on and what support you might be able to access. Your practitioner may invite you to a meeting with one of the therapists who works with us to explore this.

If you live in Hackney, or within an hour’s travel from Hackney, one of our therapists might offer to do some therapeutic work with you, if both you and they feel they can offer something helpful.

If we believe that you should be able to access support from adult mental health services, but you are struggling to do so, we will try to help you do this.

If you are struggling with feelings of isolation or loneliness, we can refer you to Friendship Works, a mentoring programme run by Family Action who provide a mentor for 3 weekends a month.

Leisure Activities

As a Hackney care leaver,  you can apply for an all inclusive, off peak, membership for GLL Leisure Centres in Hackney at a discounted rate (£15 p/m). We will pay for this every 3 months in advance as long as you attend.  If you live outside of Hackney, please speak to your personal advisors about how to access a leisure centre in your local area as we would like to support you to do this as long as you are attending regularly. 

If you have a particular hobby or interest that you enjoy and helps you to feel good, like a sport you do or an instrument you play, we will do our very best to support you to pursue that interest, including potentially contributing to its costs if you are able to demonstrate your commitment to it.

Emotional Wellbeing Services 

Friendship Works 

If you are struggling with feelings of isolation or loneliness, we can refer you to   riendship Works, a mentoring programme run by Family Action who provide a    mentor  for three out of four weekends each month for at least two years.  More     information about the service can be found on the Friendship Works Website.  If you would like to access this support, please speak to your Leaving Care Practitioner and they will be able to refer you to the programme.  

Kooth

Kooth is a free, anonymous, online counselling and emotional well-being service available to young people aged 16-25.  Support from qualified therapists is accessible up to 10 pm every night, 365 days/year.  Kooth also offers other key features of support including an online interactive magazine, peer support, live forums, and journaling.  Young people are able to register for support through Kooth independently at www.kooth.com.  

Pathways to Better Health

Pathways to Better Health  is for young people, aged 18-25, living in or registered with a GP in the City and Hackney.  From a one off session to up to 12 regular check ins, they provide one to one support according to the young person's needs and aspirations.  

    They offer:

• A safe and supportive space to talk about how you’re feeling

• Practical support with form filling and writing applications for benefits and services

• Understanding your rights and entitlements

• Support with identifying and navigating services, work and training opportunities

More information about their service with details about how to make a self referral           can be found at the here: http://www.centreforbetterhealth.org.uk/pathways