Conditions we help with
Self-harm support for young people
You do not have to manage this alone. Specialist support for young people aged 7 to 25, within three weeks.
If you need help right now
Blip is not an emergency service. If a young person is in immediate danger, please contact one of these services now:
- NHS 111 option 2Mental health crisis line, any time
- Samaritans116 123, free, 24 hours
- Papyrus HOPELINE2470800 068 4141, for under-35s
- ShoutText SHOUT to 85258, free, 24 hours
- Emergency services999
Self-harm in young people is more common than most parents know, and less mysterious than it seems from the outside. For most young people it is a way of managing emotional pain when nothing else has worked: a coping mechanism, not a wish for permanent damage. Around one in five young people aged 14 to 21 report self-harm at some point in their lives (Samaritans, 2019).
With the right support, most young people who self-harm can find safer ways to manage distress. Recovery is possible. The evidence base is clear on this, and Blip's clinical team has direct experience of supporting young people through it.
Who blip can help, and when NHS urgent care is needed instead
Blip works with young people where self-harm is assessed as low to moderate risk. This means the young person is not in immediate danger, is able to engage in community-based support, and does not require inpatient or crisis team intervention.
Where a young person presents at high risk, including active suicidal ideation with intent or plan, or where immediate medical attention is needed, blip will support the family to access the appropriate NHS pathway. We do not work with presentations that require inpatient or emergency care. Our clinical team makes this assessment at triage and will advise honestly about whether blip is the right service.
What helps, and what the evidence says
NICE NG225 (Self-harm, 2022) recommends psychosocial assessment as the first step for every young person who has self-harmed. The assessment should explore the circumstances, the young person's mental state, their relationships and the supports around them. NICE recommends CBT for adolescents who self-harm, with family involvement where appropriate and the young person's consent.
The guideline is direct about one thing: young people who self-harm should not be made to feel judged or punished for disclosing it. The therapeutic relationship matters more than any specific technique. Blip's clinical team is trained to provide exactly that: an assessment that is safe, non-judgemental, and focused on what the young person needs.
What blip offers
Psychosocial assessment
A thorough clinical assessment with a senior clinician to understand what is driving the self-harm, what function it has been serving, what the young person needs to feel safer, and what support is already in place around them.
CBT and evidence-based therapy
NICE NG225 recommends cognitive behavioural therapy as the primary intervention for young people who self-harm. At blip, this is adapted to the individual: the focus is on building alternative ways to manage the emotional pain that self-harm has been managing.
Safety planning
A personalised safety plan developed with the young person, not imposed on them. This identifies their warning signs, their coping strategies, the people they trust, and the steps to take if distress becomes acute.
Family work
Families are often frightened and do not know how to respond. Our family therapist works with parents and carers to understand what is happening, to reduce the fear-driven responses that can escalate distress, and to build a home environment that supports recovery.
Psychiatric input
Where there is co-occurring depression, anxiety or another mental health diagnosis, our consultant psychiatrist contributes to the formulation and, where indicated, to medication review.
A note for parents
Finding out your child is self-harming is frightening. Most parents feel panic and guilt in roughly equal measure. They ask what they did wrong. The honest answer is usually that they did not cause this, and that understanding it matters more right now than explaining it. The most helpful thing you can do is to stay calm when your child discloses, resist the urge to remove what you can see rather than address what is underneath, and seek proper clinical support.
Blip includes family work as a standard part of care for younger adolescents. We will support you to understand what is happening and to respond in ways that help.
Pathway timescales
- 1Triage. Within 5 working days of referral
- 2Initial assessment. Within 3 weeks
- 3Care plan agreed. Within 1 week of assessment
- 4Intervention begins. Within 2 weeks of care plan
One clinician, a full team behind them
Every young person at blip has a named clinician who leads their care. That clinician is backed by a multidisciplinary team: consultant psychiatrist, senior CAMHS practitioners, occupational therapist, and family therapist. The team meets weekly. No decisions about a case are made by a single clinician alone.
Blip Healthcare Ltd is in CQC registration for Treatment of disease, disorder or injury. The service is led by Vivien Beni, RMN, Registered Mental Health Nurse and Registered Manager. All clinicians hold current registration with their professional body.
Get in touch
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