PARENTS in Worcestershire struggling with problems around behaviour, mental health and other issues are being offered support by a specialised service.

The Early Help Hub is the first point of contact for those with children aged 19 and younger and can offer advice and support or refer people to a specialist.

One young mother of two called the hub after struggling with her son’s behaviour and anger issues. His school had warned her he was at risk of being excluded and the family’s GP had been unable to refer them to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) but an adviser from the hub was able to arrange for a range of support to help the boy get back on the right track.

Worcestershire County Council’s lead cabinet member for children and families Cllr Liz Eyre said recognising and dealing with mental health problems in children and young people was a high priority for the authority.

“Services such as CAMHS do fantastic work with hundreds of children and young people, but they cannot help with some of the smaller issues,” she said.

“Parents are urged to contact the Early Help Hub when problems first arise as it may be that we can find them some additional support to stop mental help problems getting worse."

To contact the Early Help Hub call 01905 822 666 or visit earlyhelphub.co.uk.