Mental health support tool designed by and for the young people of Sheffield

Chilypep (Children and Young People’s Empowerment Project) has worked to help young people be involved in decision making processes that affect their lives, since 2002.

Young people from one of the charity’s projects, STAMP (Support, Think, Act, Motivate, Participate) have designed My Mental Health Passport, which is a digital platform that aims to make transitions between services easier.

A spokesperson for Chilypep said: “Young people have said that meeting new people and having to repeat a sensitive story can be distressing – they lose track of who knows what, and what they’ve said.

“The website is a free space where young people can describe their experiences, preferences, emotions and feelings in a confidential environment. It’s been designed by young people for young people, so they can have more control over their information and their own stories.”

STAMP was set up to improve the mental health of young people in Sheffield aged 14 to 25.

It recognises the problems that young people in the city face and has sought to do something about it.

Some young people have said they felt ‘on the edge’ after being deemed ‘too old’ for children’s services yet ‘not serious enough’ for adult services, resulting in them not being able to access support at all.

After Sheffield CCG (Clinical Commisioning Group) secured funding from NHS England, STAMP was able to develop My Mental Health Passport.

The young people involved with the project have ensured that it reflects the voices of young people.

For example, an emoji journal has been added so mood or experiences between appointments can be tracked.

When, where and how the passport is used has been left to that of the user but it is hoped that it will be an aid to making conversations about an individual’s mental health story a bit easier, be it with others in the same situation or with professionals.

More information can be found: www.mymhp.org.uk