Paediatric Psychosocial Service

We are a team of:

• Psychologists
• Psychiatrists
• Psychotherapists
• Mental Health Practitioners
• Consultant / Specialist Adviser in Autism and Learning Disabilities
• Secretaries and administrators

We work with children and young people who come to RMCH and have a physical health condition.

We might see you when you come to the hospital. Or, we might see you at the Harrington Building.

How We Can Help

Physical health conditions can affect:

• Your mood
• Your relationships
• Your school work
• The things you like to do

Our friendly team can:

• Help you to understand the links between your physical health and your feelings
• Help you to get used to your health condition
• Help you manage procedures and treatments
• Help you understand and manage your feelings
• Offer you strategies to manage pain
• Offer support at school

Types of Appointments

• Assessment: Getting to know you and what’s important in your life.
• Neuropsychological Assessment: Playing games and puzzles to help understand you
• Talking Therapies: Helping you to find ways to live the life you want to.
• Group Work: Meeting other people who have similar challenges to you.
• Parent Support: Helping your parents understand how your feelings can affect your daily life

What can I do?

• Remember that you are not on your own
• Find someone you trust to talk to about how you are feeling
• Try to get into a routine of doing your treatments
• Know that your medical team are there to help
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions
• Focus on how far you have come

Getting used to something new can take time.

Sometimes it will be easier than others.

Tree of Life Groups

• When you are going through tricky times, you can forget about the things that are important to you.
• Our Tree of Life group could help you to remember you skills, values, hopes, and support.
• You meet other young people who are going through similar challenges.
• We work together to think about ways to manage the challenging times that your health condition can bring.
• If you would like to hear more about our group, then ask your clinician.

Useful Links

The Royal College of Psychiatrists

https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/parents-and-young-people

What is a Clinical Psychologist?

People often ask ‘What is a Clinical Psychologist?’ Dr Joanna Cheng, whilst a trainee psychologist within our service, produced the following ‘Easy Read’ information leaflet in collaboration with the British Psychological Society and the Division of Clinical Psychology.

Where will my child receive treatment?

The majority of our appointments are offered on the first floor of the Harrington Building, on the Trust’s Oxford Road campus. We also offer appointments on the wards, if your child is an inpatient at the hospital, or, if you agree, we may join your child at their hospital clinic appointments.

We do offer appointments at other locations – we work at the Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia centre near to the MRI, and offer appointments at North Manchester General Hospital for HIV, at Stepping Hill, Tameside and Macclesfield for Diabetes, and at Macclesfield for Chronic Fatigue.

We can also meet or complete assessments at schools and colleges.

How to see a member of the team

A member of your medical team may ask you if you would like to be referred, or you can request psychological support yourself by asking your medical team directly. If you would like to speak to us before an appointment is made, you can contact us on 0161 701 4512 or 0161 701 4514, Monday – Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm.

Our team members