KIDDERMINSTER-based MEP James Carver is backing plans for the expansion of a charity’s pioneering online and face-to-face counselling services to help children and young people in Wyre Forest overcome mental health issues.

Teens in Crisis – TIC+ - supports around 2,500 nine to 21-year-olds a year in Gloucestershire, and is looking for organisations such as schools, universities, colleges, health and police to buy into the services.

Mr Carver, the West Midlands Independent MEP, said: “This is a fantastic service, run by caring and compassionate professionals who display total empathy and respect for their young clients.

“The enormous rise in teenage anxiety over the last few years is staggering and combined with issues around family relationships, depression, low self-esteem, anger, lack of sleep, bullying and self-harm, has overwhelmed the NHS and social services nationally.

“The age of children suffering anxiety, which can be due to pressures to achieve at school, or the impact of the internet and social media, is quite frankly terrifying with TIC+ reporting a third of their clients being aged just 12 or younger.

“Early intervention is the key to preventing serious mental illnesses and to enable children to enjoy their childhood and reach their potential, as well as reducing the cost in the long term to the NHS and society in general.

“I would urge any organisation dealing with children and young people to look seriously at the marvellous services TIC+ provides. Their outcomes are impressive with 79 per cent of clients surveyed reporting reduced levels of stress after counselling.”

TIC+ director of counselling Judith Bell said the aim of the service was to give “every young person someone to talk to” and while many wanted face-to-face help and support, around 40 per cent preferred to talk online using the safe, secure text chat.

The charity has also applied for a £65,000 National Lottery grant to set up an online forum through which children and young people can chat to their peers for support – which will be carefully moderated – as well as to a counsellor and take part in workshops providing coping strategies on subjects ranging from anxiety to poor sleeping patterns.

Mrs Bell said: “The forum is an exciting development and we hope those who use it will be given a sense of belonging and hope for the future.”

She added: “We have a great team of counsellors who are qualified in working with children, helping provide coping strategies whilst listening, respecting and valuing the young person.

“It is on the back of the numerous successful outcomes we’ve had with Gloucestershire’s youth that we now want to offer our services to a wider area.”

For more details visit www.ticplus.org.uk, contact Mrs Bell on 01594 372777 or email judith@ticplus.org.uk