Where else can you get help?

Unfortunately, we’re not able to help everyone at Purple House so we’d like to offer some advice about where else you can get help:

Your GP

GPs can make referrals to specialist NHS mental health services and specialist services for neurodiversity including Autism and ADHD. They can also refer to paediatricians which is often the best course of action where there are developmental concerns about pre-school children. You may wish to consider making an appointment to see your GP and asking about what options are available and how long you might need to wait to access these services.

For individuals who are experiencing severe mental health difficulties and / or where there is concern about suicidal thought or self-harm services are available sooner; so please ensure you tell your GP immediately if any of these circumstances apply (please also refer to our leaflet ‘getting help in a crisis’). https://efiiu5gkqdn.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Crisis-Information.pdf

Schools and Employers

Schools (in the case of children) and employers (in the case of adults) often have provisions in place for help with low-level mental health difficulties or learning difficulties, so it is worth talking to them about what provisions they have available.

Private Providers

There are other private providers of mental health and neurodiversity services whom you can contact to enquire about their availability of services; their referral criteria, fees and availability might be different to ours. If affordability is an issue, it might be helpful to know that as a very general rule of thumb, the cost of different mental heath practitioners (from highest to lowest) tends to be as follows: psychiatrists> psychologists> psychotherapists> counsellors.

There are different ways to search for a private provider online. You could search for a local group practice or an individual practitioner with a variety of search terms, for example, “psychologist Sheffield”, “counsellor Sheffield”, “therapy Sheffield”, “autism assessment Sheffield”.

Please note that the titles ‘psychologist’, ‘psychotherapist’ and ‘counsellor’ are not protected by law which means that anyone can call themselves by these terms. As such, please ensure that any practitioner you engage with is suitably qualified and experienced. Psychiatrists should be registered with the General Medical Council. Practitioner psychologists should be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council. There are number of different professional bodies representing psychotherapists and counsellors, however, some of the key memberships to look out for are: UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), British Psychoanalytical Council (BCP), Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP), and the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP). However, just because someone has these accreditations, it doesn’t necessarily mean they have the right credentials to help you with your particular issue so please do ensure you research an individual’s experience as well as their training and qualifications.

Social Services

If a child is classed as a Child in Need or subject to a Child Protection Plan, or if an adult is subject to a safeguarding enquiry or safeguarding plan, then you should talk to your social worker about co-ordinating access to statutory health services.