Below is a list of services provided by charities and professionals who you can refer or gain advice from.
Action for Children offers both practical and emotional support to young people and their families, empowering them to implement coping strategies.
For more information contact – caroline.adams@actionforchildren.org.uk or catherine.macleod@actionforchildren.org.uk
Are a brand new charity, set up to support children with additional support needs and their families. Their key aims include working with different people in Orkney to provide fun and varied opportunities for children with additional support needs, which allow them to engage with others in the wider community.
They also work with a range of agencies to provide robust signposting for families and provide a support network for families and children. Their long-term aim is to establish an indoor and outdoor space where children and families can come to socialise, support each other and, most importantly, have fun in a safe and welcoming space. Find out more on the Inclusive Orkney facebook page including future weekend clubs and other events.
June Anderson and Renate Andrews are independent counsellors offering free and confidential counselling at school. This service is funded by Orkney Islands Council. Counselling is a conversation with someone who is trained to listen and help you with issues such as stress, low mood, anger, bullying, relationship difficulties and self-harm. This conversation is private and confidential, and the counsellor is there to listen not to judge.
The Maternity unit has 4 beds, 2 post-natal rooms, and 2 labour and birth rooms, one of which has a birthing pool. We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and are located within the Balfour Hospital.
For more information contact – kim.hamilton@nhs.scot or 01856 888238.
CAMHS is the name for the NHS services that assess and treat young people with emotional, behavioural, or mental health difficulties. Their support covers depression, problems with food and eating, self-harm, abuse, violence or anger, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and anxiety, among other difficulties.
CAMHS services are delivered by a team made up of nurses, therapists, psychologists, child and adolescent psychiatrists (medical doctors specialising in mental health), support workers and social workers, as well as other professionals.
Find out more on the mental health services page.
The Paediatric Occupational Therapy Service helps children and young people who might need special equipment to help them when at home, or perhaps at school. For example, some children might need special equipment to help them in the bathroom. Or they might need something to help them make a cup of tea. Some children also need special equipment to help them when they are in the classroom.
Further information is available from the team at the Peedie Sea Children’s Centre, Pickaquoy Loan, Kirkwall, KW15 1BZ or by calling 01856 885593.
They are one of the partner colleges that make up the University of the Highlands and Islands. They deliver a wide range of higher education, degree, and postgraduate learning options in addition to the traditional base of further education.
Whether you are a school leaver or haven’t studied for some time, there is something for everyone at Orkney College UHI.
Find out more on the Orkney College website. Pages that may be of interest include the course list, the student support page, or the guide for parents in supporting their children take the next steps beyond school.
If you can’t find the support you are looking for here you can always search the Orkney Community Directory. Voluntary Action Orkney have put together the searchable directory which has a comprehensive list of community and voluntary groups active in Orkney. Other organisations and services that may be of interest to you are also included.
Visit the Orkney Community Directory to find out more.
ORSAS supports anyone aged 13+ of any gender who has experienced rape or any other forms of sexual violence at any time in their life, in person or online. They also provide information and support to family, friends, partners and professionals supporting survivors and campaigns to improve services for survivors.
They offers specialist sexual violence advocacy for people who are in their journey in the legal and court process and their specialist prevention worker delivers Rape Crisis Scotland’s National Prevention Programme to schools and youth settings. They also provide individually tailored prevention in their COMET+ project for care experienced children and children with learning difficulties.
They can offer training on topics such as consent and child sexual exploitation, and also host an Equality Hub which holds exhibitions on diverse topics. The Hub is a Third Party Reporting Centre for Hate Crime and a Keep Safe space for assistance.
For more information visit www.orsas.scot or contact them by email.
The Paediatric Physiotherapy Service sees all children aged 0 to 19 years to advise and help in recovery from injury, illness, and surgery, and especially with growth related conditions.
They help, advise and work with babies and children if there are concerns about their development and also work with children who have disabilities to help achieve their full potential.
Children can be seen at home, school, nursery, Peedie Sea Children’s Centre, and in the hydrotherapy pool.
Further information is available from the team at the Peedie Sea Children’s Centre, Pickaquoy Loan, Kirkwall, KW15 1BZ or by calling 01856 885592.
We offer a range of free and confidential therapies and support for children, young people and adults in Orkney, which may be helpful for someone you’re working with. These include: relationship counselling, individual counselling for adults and for young people, play therapy, family mediation, substance misuse counselling, individual and family support. You can find out more here, or get in touch to discuss whether we are the right service for your client:
Find out more on the Relationships Scotland Orkney website.
Right There Orkney’s youth counselling programme. We are free and confidential and specialise in counselling for young people up to the age of 25.
Youth counsellors are here to support you through issues such as stress, depression, anxiety, confidence, self-esteem, self-harm, feeling alone, bullying and substance use. Our counselling offers as face to face sessions, we also offer online or telephone counselling. Appointments can be flexible so we can be there when you need us. We can meet you at your GP surgery, at college, at our office or somewhere else which is convenient for you.
For more information contact us at counsellingorkney@rightthere.org
Young Persons’ Supported Accommodation (YPSAS) offers supported accommodation for young people, up to the age of 25, who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
YPSAS supports with developing independent living skills, such as cooking, budgeting, maintaining your tenancy and offers practical, emotional, and therapeutic support.
For referral for the service please contact: Housing, Homelessness Department, Orkney Islands Council, Kirkwall, KW15 1NY telephone: 01856 873535
Right There Wellbeing Orkney service offers practical, emotional and mental health support to people up to the age of 25 and for people of all ages who would are affected by substance use.
We support people in their own homes, or in other community settings and can offer support for those who are waiting on counselling or following the counselling journey.
For more information contact us at wellbeingorkney@rightthere.org.
They have a team of Careers Advisers based in Orkney, who work in Kirkwall Grammar School, Stromness Academy, and the three Junior High Schools in Westray, Sanday and Stronsay. They also have a careers centre in Kirkwall where they can meet with individuals who have left school. They work closely with other partners too such as Orkney College and JobCentre Plus.
In school they deliver group sessions from S1 onwards on various topics such as post-school options and employability, and they can also meet with Senior Phase pupils one-to-one to talk through their ideas for the future.
Find out more on the SDS Orkney website.
They work with children, young people, and their families, when there are concerns about their wellbeing. children, young people and their parents or carers can refer to the service when they need additional support.
Professionals involved with children and young people can refer to the Children and Families Social Work Service if they have concerns about their wellbeing. It is always best for professionals to have the permission from parents or carers and children or young people, depending on the age and stage of development and their level of understanding before making a referral.
They offer a range of services to children and young people from pre-birth to the age of 16, and in certain cases, up to the age of 18. The team also works with young adults up to the age of 26 who are care experienced and work closely with foster carers, adopters, and kinship carers to make sure the wellbeing of children and young people are a priority.
You can contact them from Monday to Friday, between 9am and 5pm by calling 01856 873535 and asking for the Duty Social Worker. You can also contact them at other times on 01856 888000. This will take you to The Balfour Hospital switchboard then you ask for the Emergency Social Worker.
Find out more on the Children and Families Social Work Service page.
Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) work with children and young people who may have a range of speech, language, communication, and/or eating and drinking difficulties.
SLTs want to help children and young people become confident and successful communicators. They can help in lots of areas such as speech sounds and intelligibility, understanding language, using language to communicate, stammering and fluency, communicating and interacting socially, and finding other ways to communicate when speech isn’t possible or working well enough.
Speech and language therapy operates an open referral system. This means that parents, carers, young people or any professional can request assistance where there is a concern about a child or young person’s wellbeing as a result of speech, language, communication, or eating and drinking difficulties.
All requests for assistance must have parental or carer consent for children under 16 years of age. Young people and young adults 16 years and over must give consent themselves.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01856 888239 or ork.speechandlanguagetherapy@nhs.scot
We are based at The Balfour, Foreland Road, Kirkwall KW15 1NZ
Anyone can make a Request for Assistance by completing our Request for Assistance Form.
WAO offer services to women, young people and children affected by domestic abuse both current and historic.
They have dedicated services;
Find out more on the Women’s Aid Orkney website.
Y-Talk is Ypeople Orkney’s youth counselling programme. It is free and confidential, and specialise in counselling for young people up to the age of 25
Our youth counsellors are here to support young people through issues such as stress, depression, anxiety, confidence, self-esteem, self-harm, feeling alone, bullying and substance use. Our counselling offers as face to face sessions and also offer online or telephone counselling. Appointments are flexible and can be somewhere which is convenient for you.
For more information contact them at y-talk@ypeople.org.uk or call 07770 019147 or 07770 019138.
Y-Change offers free, non-judgemental and confidential support for people who have found themselves at risk of or involved in offending or antisocial behaviour as a result substance or alcohol use.
For those aged 16+ living in Orkney Y-Change can help with:
For more information contact them at orkney@ypeople.org.uk or call 07904 683851 or 07770 019138
YPSAS offers supported accommodation for young people up to age 25, who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
They can support with developing independent living skills, such as cooking, budgeting, maintaining tenancies and offers practical, emotional and therapeutic support.
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