NHS Islington...

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Community Child Psychology Service

Who is the service for?

The Community Child Psychology Service is for parents and their children, aged 0-11, living in Islington.

What to expect from the service

You will be seen by a Clinical Child Psychologist who specialises in behaviour problems in children. The aim of the appointment is to help parents and carers to find solutions to worries about their children.

First appointments last up to 1 hour. You may come with or without your child to the first appointment. All information is treated confidentially.

You will be asked to describe:

• Your concerns about your child.
• The history of this behaviour.
• Your child’s development.
• How it affects you and your family.

A problem-solving plan will be developed with the parent which is designed to suit individual families. You are not committed to any further appointments, but they will be offered if required.

Why Child Psychology?

Nobody says that child rearing is easy! But it can be easier and enjoyable. Some strategies work better than others. Clinical Child Psychologists may be able to help you and your child.

Some common problems which parents experience with children:

• Sleep disturbance - some children find it difficult to get off to sleep, others wake up many times during the night. This can be exhausting for parents.
• Eating problems - Children may eat too much, or not enough, or may be argumentative about what they want or don’t want.
• Communication problems - Whilst children’s language skills are developing, it can be a frustrating time for both child and parents. Some children can also find it hard to put their feelings into words.
• Developmental problems - Some behaviour or emotional problems may be related to developmental delay or disability. Understanding and managing these problems takes extra skills on the part of parents.
• Tantrums - Learning what triggers a child’s tantrums can lead to greater understanding and solutions.
• Overactive - Many parents think that their children are too active. Assessing and channelling children’s behaviour can improve the situation.
• Toileting - This can be a difficult skill for children to learn. Advice and understanding is often all that is needed.
• Sibling rivalry - Children of all ages often compete with their brothers and sisters, but extreme cases can be stressful for the family.
• Non-compliance - Learning how to encourage children to do what they are told improves parent-child relationships.
• Setting limits - Saying NO to your children can be so difficult. Learning the value of limit setting will improve their behaviour, whatever their age.
• Reducing stress - Bringing up children is stressful. Reducing stress for parents makes the process easier.
• Reactions to life events - Children and families can experience events such as divorce, separation and bereavement that can be hard to cope with. Having a space to talk about these changes and learn new ways of coping can be useful.
• Emotional problems - Children may experience worries, become unhappy, or develop a fear or phobia. The reason for this may be clear, or more difficult to understand. Finding the root of the problem, or ways to cope with these feelings can help them happen less often.
• School difficulties - School can bring challenges for some children, particularly at times of transition or change. Help may be needed to address relationships with peers or confidence in learning.

How are children referred to the service?

The service is an "open access service" and the preferred way of arranging an appointment is for parents and carers to contact the clinic directly and to make their own appointment, just like an appointment with a GP. The service also accepts referrals from health and local authority staff such as health visitors, GP’s, speech and language therapists, social workers and education staff.

Clinics

Please contact your nearest clinic for an appointment.

Amwell Practice, 4 Naoroji Street, London WC1X 0GB Map
Tel: 020 7837 2020

City Road Medical Centre, 190-196 City Road, London EC1V 2QH Map
Tel: 020 3316 8570

Goodinge Health Centre, 20 North Road, London N7 9EW Map
Tel: 020 3316 8601

Highbury Grange Health Centre, 1-5 Highbury Grange, London N5 2QB Map
Tel: 020 3316 8001

Hornsey Rise Health Centre, Hornsey Rise, London N19 3YU Map
Tel: 020 3316 8640

Killick Street Health Centre, 75 Killick Street, London N1 9RH
Tel: 020 7833 9939

Northern Health Centre, 580 Holloway Road, London N7 6LB Map
Tel: 020 3316 1900

Ritchie Street Group Practice, 34 Ritchie Street, London N1 0DG Map
Tel: 020 7837 1663

River Place Health Centre, River Place, Essex Road, London N1 2DE Map
Tel: 020 3316 8440

Downloads

Service leaflet