Welcome to Portsmouth CAMHS

Service Venues

Falcon House

Portsmouth CAMHS are based at Falcon House. The building is purpose built for CAMHS and based within the lovely surroundings of St James Hospital in Milton.

We understand that when you come for your first appointment it can be quite scary but we try to make you feel as comfortable as possible. Our friendly reception staff are on hand to answer any questions you might have, and there is a pleasant waiting area to relax before you are seen.

For the younger children there are plenty of toys and activities such as colouring in to keep you occupied, while for older children we have two Xbox consoles and a range of games for you to play while you wait. There is a play area outside with a trampoline and climbing frame.

For adults we have a selection of leaflets to try to provide additional information and links to other services that you might find useful.

Meet the Teams

There are a number of teams based at Portsmouth CAMHS (Falcon House). However, sometimes we do work in the community to meet the needs of the child or young person; this may mean that we see you at school or at home.

SPA Team

SPA, or Single Point of Access, consists of Mental Health Practitioners, or MHPs. They have backgrounds in mental health nursing, teaching and social work. They are all experienced in helping children, young people and their families who are having problems with their feelings, behaviour and friendships, either at home, outside the home or in school or college. SPA offers:

• One place that will receive all referrals for planned (0 to 18 years of age) and unplanned care (0 to 18 years of age) between the hours of 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday. This does not include referrals that will meet the criteria for our Looked after Children or Learning Disabilities Team as explained below.
• Access to an advice and consultation line for parents/carers and young people and professionals 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday on 0300 123 6632.
• Following receipt of a referral families or young person will be contacted within 2 days. All referrals will then be looked at by our SPA clinicians, this means that we will make contact with parents/carers and/or young person and any other relevant professionals with consent. Following these discussions a plan will be agreed together. This may result in support to access a more appropriate service or an urgent appointment with CAMHS (within 72 hours) or a routine appointment with CAMHS (within 4 weeks).
• Access to an up to date menu of resources including the early help offer and evidence based training packages for practitioners working with emotional and mental health needs.
• Brief interventions for children and young people who have moderate mental health problems that cannot be managed within universal services.
• Out of hours there is a 24/7 on call service that can be contacted for psychiatric emergencies via St James Hospital front hall on 023 9289 4419.

Extended Team

The Extended CAMHS Team offers assessment and intervention for children and young people aged 0-18 years and their families/support networks who have moderate to severe mental health disorders. It is a multi disciplinary team, which means we come from a range of experiences and backgrounds but have all had special training in child and adolescent mental health. We include

• Nurse Specialists
• Specialist Therapists
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists
• Child Psychotherapists
• Clinical Child Psychologists
• Family Therapists
• Art Psychotherapists

Learning Disabilities and Child Development Centre

The Learning Disabilities team see children who attend one of the special schools in Portsmouth, namely Mary Rose, Redwood Park, Cliffdale and Willows.

Looked After Children

The Looked After Children Team works with children and young people in the care of Portsmouth Social Care (this means that they will have a Portsmouth Social Worker). The work of this team is underpinned by attachment theory and the development challenges that may result when this is disrupted. They aim to work both with the child or young person and their carer to prevent placement breakdown and the distress and trauma this may cause for all involved. Referrals are accepted from social workers, family placement team, residential unit, health and education.