Self-Referral Services

Essex Wellbeing Service: Alcohol Reduction

The Essex Wellbeing Service offers support to help you minimise your alcohol consumption.

Essex Specialist Drugs and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Service (Essex STaRS)

In Essex we have introduced a new way of delivering care to substance misusers in the community called Essex Specialist Treatment and Recovery Service (Essex STaRS), under which all our services users will be looked after by one of a number of new specialist teams.

Visit the NHS website for more information about the Essex Specialist Treatment and Recovery Service.

NHS Resources

The following pages on the NHS website offer a wealth of advice and resources for people with addicitions:

Alcohol support

Drug addiction

Heroin addiction

Cocaine addiction

Advice for families

Drinkaware

The Drink Aware website offers support, advice and tools to help you reduce your drinking.

Alcohol Change UK

The Alcohol Change website has information and support for people worried about how much alcohol they are drinking.

Frank

The Talk to Frank website offers confidential advice and information about drugs, their effects and the law.

Turning Point

The Turrning Point website is another great resource for drug and alcohol support.

Young Minds

The Young Minds website offers a guide for young people.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

Alcoholics Anonymous offer help and support for anyone with alcohol problems.

Narcotics Anonymous

Narcotics Anonymous offer support for anyone who wants to stop using drugs.

Mind

Mind have some very helpful tips for supporting someone with drug and alcohol problems.

A ‘carer’ is someone who – without being paid – regularly looks after, helps or supports someone over the age of 18 who wouldn’t be able to manage everyday life without their help.

If you are a carer please visit our dedicated Carers' Information page for advice about the services and resources available to you.

Essex Child and Family Wellbeing Service

The Family Hub team support behaviour, child development, sleep, connecting, transition, emotional wellbeing and lifestyle.

Essex Wellbeing Service: Child Lifestyle Service

The Child Lifestyle Service offers face to face support for all school aged children in Essex and their families. Advice on cooking, nutrition, physical activity including mindfulness and relaxation.

NHS Resources

Vaccinations and when to have them

Is my child too ill for school?

Rashes in babies and children - visual guide

Healthier Together covers a wide range of topics including ailments, symptoms and injuries for ages 0 to 18 years

Change 4 Life

Change4Life aims to help your family be healthier and happier. Find out more about what’s really in the food your family eats.

Action for Children

Action for Children protects and supports children and young people, providing practical and emotional care and support.

Baby Buddy App

Baby Buddy is an award winning mobile phone app for new parents and parents-to-be, created by mums, doctors and midwives.

Kids: Giving disabled children a brighter future

Kids groups offer parent/carers and their children the opportunity to meet other families, make friends, share experiences and have fun! The groups will also offer parents/carers information, advice and workshops.

Contact for families with Disabled children

Contact support families with the best possible guidance and information. For every shape and size of family, whatever they need and whatever their child''s disability

NSPCC Helpline

If you’re worried about a child, even if you’re unsure, contact the NSPCC who have professional counsellors for help, advice and support.

Tel: 0808 800 5000

Childline

Childline offers free, confidential advice and support for any child 18 years or under, whatever the worry.

0800 1111

Tel: 0800 1111

Midwives Self Referral Form (Pregnancy referral for maternity booking)

Once you have found out that you are pregnant, please get in touch with a maternity team as soon as possible to book your first appointment.

Refer yourself to the The Princess Alexandra Hospital maternity services

Antenatal Self Referral Form

You can self-refer to your midwife without seeing your GP by completing the form relating to the area that you live in.

NHS Resources

Information about the antenatal support team, including the midwife.

NHS Pregnancy guide - includes all you need to know about trying for a baby, pregnancy, labour and birth

Healthy Start - information for pregnancy and children up to the age of 4.

Services and support for parents - information on NHS services for new parents.

Tips for new parents - a quick guide to everything you need to know about caring for your new baby during the early weeks.

Healthier Together - a website that provides advice for pregnant women, parents and young people.

Mental health crisis support

Information on who to contact for a mental health crisis for adults and under 18's.

Urgent support

If you cannot wait to see a doctor and feel unable to cope or keep yourself safe, it’s important to get urgent support now

First Episode in Psychosis (FEP)

Specialist care for people aged 14-65 who are experiencing psychosis for the first time.

Personality Disorder and Complex Needs Service User Network (SUN)

The Service User Network (SUN) is a community based support service which sits within the Personality Disorder and Complex Needs Service (PD&CN).

Southend, Essex and Thurrock Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (SET CAMHS)

SET CAMHS Provides advice and support for children and young people and families who are needing support with emotional wellbeing or mental health living in Essex.

Vita Health Group

In partnership with the NHS,  Vita Health Group offer a range of short-term psychological therapies to adults 16-years and over.

Self refer to Vita Health on their website. You can also visit a drop in service.

Essex Wellbeing Service Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing

The Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing services offer emotional, psychological and social wellbeing support.

Physiotherapy helps to restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness or disability. It can also help to reduce your risk of injury or illness in the future. It takes a holistic approach that involves the patient directly in their own care.

Adults, aged 18 or over, in our local area self refer online to get a physio assessment, advice, treatment and education for self management and supervised exercises.

Going to your local pharmacy offers an easy and convenient way to get clinical advice on minor health concerns, and now community pharmacies can offer prescription medicine for seven common conditions without patients needing to see a GP, as part of a major transformation in the way the NHS delivers care.

Community pharmacists are highly-skilled, qualified health professionals who have the right clinical training to give people the health advice they need. Patients don't need an appointment and private consultation rooms are available. Pharmacy teams can also signpost to other relevant local services where necessary.

You can find out more about how pharamcists can help with minor ailments, and the conditions they give you prescription medicine for on our Think Pharamacy First page.

Safeguarding means keeping people safe from harm. It is about protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse or neglect.

Please see Sydenham House Surgery's safeguarding policy for information on how we protect children and at-risk adults. Further information on safeguarding in Essex is available below.

Safeguarding Children & Adolescents

The HCRG Care Group Safeguarding Team work to deliver the safest possible care to vulnerable children and young people across Essex.

Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults

The Essex Safeguarding Adult Board (ESAB) has statutory responsibilities to ensure accountability and assurance is in place in order to safeguard adults at risk and enable them to live lives free from abuse and neglect.

Essex Wellbeing Service

The Essex Wellbeing Service runs a free stop smoking service offering advice support and nicotine replacement therapy in various locations in Essex.

Find other Stop Smoking Services

There's a free local Stop Smoking Service near you. With their help, you are more likely to quit for good.

Find your local Stop Smoking Service

Stop Smoking Help & Resources

About NHS stop smoking services

NHS stop smoking guide

Information on stop smoking products

Information on smoking and how to quit

Essex Wellbeing Service Weight Management

Take control of your own weight loss journey and choose the course delivery best-suited to you with the Essex Wellbeing Service's weight management programme. You can self-refer for the service on the website

Sport for Confidence

You can self refer for the sport for confidenece service, which supports individuals with therapeutic interventions related to physical, mental and emotional health.

Occupational Therapists at the service provide practical support to empower people to facilitate recovery and overcome barriers preventing them from doing the meaningful activities that matter to them.

Places Leisure Gold standard exercise referral

You can self refer for a 12 week personalised programme of exercise with Places Lessure. This service is for people with underlying health conditions who would benefit from physical activityto improve their health and confidence.

Essex Wellbeing Services (EWS)

Essex Wellbeing Services supports you to find ways to be more active and can refer you to a local leisure centre for activity groups.

NHS Resources & Advice

Exercise guidelines and workouts to help improve your fitness and wellbeing.

Check your BMI to find out if you're a healthy weight for your height.

Walking for health offers advice on walking to improve your physical and mental health.