Read the full story: www.annafreud.org/news/anna-fr...

Visit Autism Central: autismcentral.org.uk

For over seventy years, at Anna Freud we’ve sought to understand the challenges facing children, young people and families, including those in vulnerable situations, to improve mental health support and outcomes.

Dr Georgia Pavlopoulou, Anna Freud and UCL, said:

“Our vision is to build a nation where all autistic people and those who support them are empowered, connected and thriving. With lived experience and rigorous research at its core, Autism Central has a key role to play...”

It offers support, such as resources, one-to one sessions and events, that aims to:

➡️improve the wellbeing of the whole family, including parents, partners and other family members

➡️prevent crisis

➡️reduce unnecessary hospital admissions

Commissioned by @england.nhs.uk, the programme is designed to deliver accessible, psychologically informed education, including to families and carers of autistic people.

We have some exciting news...

From today, Anna Freud is leading the delivery of Autism Central for the NHS, a co-produced and co-delivered peer support programme for families of autistic people of all ages and those working with them.

Our So What? seminars build the bridge between #evidence and practice in children and young people’s mental health.

Registration is free! Join us at 5.30pm on 27 November and hear about #research from the last year

www.annafreud.org/training/cou...

Read our statement in full: www.annafreud.org/news/a-hopef... (4/4)

In response, Jaime Smith, our Director of Schools, said:

“We strongly support the Committee’s vision that support for SEND must become central to mainstream education, not an afterthought.” (3/4)

These findings reflect much of what we see every day in our work with schools, young people and parents at Anna Freud: that inclusion is not an optional extra, but a foundation for learning, wellbeing and equality. (2/4)

The Education Committee has published a pivotal report calling for a root and branch transformation in how mainstream education supports children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) (1/4)

Thank you so much for your support! ❤️

Making the move from primary to secondary school can feel tough for many young people. 🏫🎒

Read our guide for parents on how to support children who’ve just started secondary school: www.annafreud.org/resources/sc...

Our friends at @edsupportuk.bsky.social have created a helpful guide on looking out for the signs that someone might be having thoughts of suicide in your school, and supporting another staff member with these feelings 🩵

mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/resources/su...

If someone’s life is at immediate risk:

Contact emergency services by calling 999, going to A&E, or accessing a walk-in emergency mental health service such as a local crisis centre (check the NHS website to see if this is available in your area).

(7/7)

#WorldSuicidePreventionDay

6. Offer in-the-moment support.

You can support the person to think about immediate strategies that help them feel safe whilst professional support is accessed. This might include inviting a trusted adult to stay with them or contacting a GP.

(6/7)

5. Try not to assume anything.

Try to understand what they are saying and let them be in control of the conversations and any outcomes from it.

(5/7)

4. Signpost to support.

There should be policies or adjustments in place at work, and people can be signposted to external support where appropriate.

(4/7)

3. Respond with open questions rather than advice or opinions.

You probably can’t - and don’t need to - solve everything. The best thing to do is offer support via conversation and suggest they get further support.

(3/7)

2. Listen to the person - everyone experiences this differently.

Listening to individual experiences is essential to being able to support a colleague properly.

(2/7)

Content warning: Suicidal thoughts

7 ways for school staff to have a conversation with a colleague having thoughts of suicide ⬇️

1. Be supportive - offer non-judgemental support that you’re able to follow through on.

From @edsupportuk.bsky.social (1/7)

#WorldSuicidePreventionDay

We couldn’t be prouder of our colleague Adelaide who’s been named a 2025 Churchill Fellow!

She'll be travelling internationally to explore how schools and communities support recovery in the aftermath of mass traumatic events, and the role of hope.

www.annafreud.org/news/anna-fr...

Two for #FollowFriday:

Get evidence-based updates on youth #MentalHealth research and innovation from @ebpu.bsky.social

and if you work with children and young people, find out about lived experience, training, specialist clinical support and resources at @annafreudcharity.bsky.social

#CYPMH

Do you work with children or young people?

Check out our free mental health resources. They cover everything from neurodivergence to self-harm, sharing evidence-based ways to help children recover and thrive: www.annafreud.org/resources/

And for educators: mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk

Super excited to make new connections and share learning!

Did you know we host internationally respected training and conferences, sharing practical ways to support young people with mental health professionals? 💜

All our training is grounded in evidence from our research and others’.

Here’s what we offer: www.annafreud.org/training/cou...

We're looking for young people & caregivers to help shape research into financial support for families with social care input 📣 Have your voice heard 📷 Join discussions 📷https://forms.office.com/e/FEqfy7ktmU 📷 Questions? Families.Lives@annafreud.org #SocialCare #Research

Going back to school can be tough for young people. We have resources to help you help them through it 💙

Lesson plan and teaching resources:
orlo.uk/XbfK8

For education professionals:
orlo.uk/nTlgR

For parents and carers:
orlo.uk/1IF5V

Mental Health And Wellbeing We're passionate about improving the mental health of children and young people. Access training, research and free resources for parents, schools and more.

Here at Anna Freud, we listen to and learn from children and young people, work with them to build better solutions, and amplify their voices to better understand mental health conditions. 💜

Find out more about our work: www.annafreud.org

Around 1 in 5 children and young people have a probable mental health disorder - rising from 1 in 9 in 2017.

That’s why we need to find out how to better support young people and develop mental health care that makes a real difference to as many as possible, as early as possible. ⬇️