Spotlight: Time for Young People service

On the 5th Feb, I had the pleasure of attending the launch of the new Time for Young People service in Leeds. I had the privilege of talking to various members of the Children’s Society staff who work on-site and behind the scenes to ensure support is provided to Leeds’ young people. Below, I will include information and insight into the new service, explaining what it offers, who it is available and information and photos of the location and other sites.

What is Time for Young People?

Time for Young People is a new emotional well-being support for young people who live and study in Leeds, with the main goals being open access, no waiting lists, and drop-in support. The service is run by the Children Society, a national charity which works to provide support for children and young people through life’s challenges and ignite hope in all young people. Every member of the support team has a background in support, working with young people and/or mental health.

What support is available?

• Drop-in support is the main service Time for Young People will provide. This will allow young people to meet one-to-one with a trained member of staff, with no need for an appointment or referral and no waiting list. In these drop-in sessions, you can expect to be listened to without judgement, to gain techniques and strategies to understand your emotions and support your well-being. These sessions will be in person.
• Structured one-to-one support is also offered. This is a set of up to 10 sessions with a trained wellbeing practitioner. In these sessions, young people will be given an opportunity to build and strengthen skills which are tailored to their needs. This is not therapy or counselling, but it has the same weekly structure and will offer support with a young person-led approach. These sessions can be in-person or online depending on the young person’s preference.
• Workshops will also be organised and run by Time for Young People. This will be held in a group session, bringing together different young people facing similar struggles to work on building mental health and well-being skills. These sessions will be in person.

When is Time for Young People open?

Check this month’s drop-ins on line here

I have listed times for Feb 25 below

• Every Monday 2pm-7pm Inner East: CATCH, Harehills
• Every Monday 2pm-7pm Leeds City Centre Hub
• Every Tuesday 2pm-7pm Leeds City Centre Hub
• Every Friday 4pm-7pm West: Pudsey Wellbeing Centre
• Every Saturday 10am-2pm Leeds City Centre Hub

Who can access this support?

Young people living and studying in Leeds up to the age of 18, or 25 for those with a disability or additional needs.

Where is Time for Young People?

The service’s main hub is located in the city centre, but they also provide support in local hubs, currently located in Harehills and Pudsey, with plans to open more in the future.
Addresses

• City Centre Hub – 21 Wharf Street, Leeds, LS2 7EQ
• Inner East hub- CATCH, Harehills, ARK, Hovingham Ave, Harehills, Leeds LS8 3QY
• West hub- Pudsey Wellbeing Centre, Robin Lane, Pudsey LS28 7BR

Why have Time for Young People chosen this kind of support?

We know how difficult it is to be on a long waiting list for support, but having a drop in service means there is no need to wait. Time want to create a structured, young-person-centred support, which allows young people to explore their creative interests whilst also accessing support.

Time for Young People strives to create a calm environment where a young person can be heard, and they recognise the significance of simply just being with a young person through those moments. The staff I spoke to voiced that taking the first step to enter the Time space is really hard for some young people and they recognise that it takes a lot of bravery. Thats why they want to create a calming and soothing environment where young people feel safe and comfortable. When a young person enters the buildings, the team want to provide a warm welcome to all individual opportunities.

Their spaces are filled with creative activities and opportunities, allowing young people to choose how they spend their time on site. Some of this included opportunities to do Art, Colouring, Music, Meditation and more.