More young people than ever are asking for support with their mental health. In Essex alone, an estimated 22,500* children and young people have a mental health problem that requires intervention.

In recognition of this, Kids Inspire has been selected to receive Essex County Council’s three-year Family Innovation Fund (FIF) grant from 1 April 2023, to deliver mental health services to young people and their families in Essex.

Speaking about the award, Sue Bell OBE, Kids Inspire’s CEO and Clinical Director, said: “We are delighted to be awarded Essex County Council’s Family Innovation Fund (FIF) for a further three years. The process is competitive, so we recognise this as a credit to our experienced, specialist team.

“Having received this crucial local authority funding for nine years, we have had the opportunity to embed learning from the young people we support in the services we provide, which have grown to meet individual needs whilst remaining flexible to evolve in ever-changing times. Right now, we are adapting our services to support the increasingly complex mental and emotional health needs of children and young people, which is directly supported by the new FIF grant.”

The new FIF grant allows for more creativity in the therapeutic offering - including group and peer support work – which over recent years has become an important part of the services Kids Inspire delivers, especially with families. A recent participant of a peer support group commented: “I received lots of helpful advice to empower me as a parent to set boundaries in a clear and loving way and to support my child through big emotions.”

Talking about the new grant, Sue went on to say: “Evidence we collect during and after our work, points towards family involvement being an essential part of our delivery. It provides lasting sustainable outcomes for all that we so desperately need. As Clinical Director, I am particularly pleased that this grant is very much about offering Solution Focused Support, which focuses on “life without the problem” rather than on analysing the problem itself.  This complements Kids Inspire’s values and thinking, that mental health support is best delivered inclusive of the family around the child – a systemic, holistic approach.”

For more information about how to refer to the service, contact us or email.

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*Taken from the Essex Mental Health and Wellbeing strategy

About the Family Innovation Fund (FIF)

The new Family Innovation Fund (FIF) opens to new referrals on 1 April with a focus on Early Intervention, Solution Focused Support.