About BICS

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What is BICS 

BICS - Supporting Children and Young People's Wellbeing and Mental Health Service provides mild to moderate mental health services to children, young people and families in the borough.

If you are struggling with social, emotional or behavioural difficulties,  contact us for help if you live in the borough or attend a Barnet school.

What we do

We offer a range of individual and family evidence based interventions, alongside groups and workshops.

We can meet face to face or virtually either in school or in the community.

After an assessment with one of our practitioners, we will agree with you what type of support would be most helpful. This might be using our own pathways or signposting you to another service.

Services we offer

Online resources: BICS podcasts and video workshops

We offer a range of online resources about mental health and well being for children, young people, families and professionals.

View our online video workshops and listen to our podcasts

Groups and workshops

We run face to face and virtual groups, workshops and training for young people, parents, school based groups and professionals.

Individual support

We offer therapeutic support for children and young people who are experiencing difficulties with their mental health and wellbeing.  Parents and carers are often included in the therapy, and sometimes may be seen on their own if the child is particularly young. 

We have a variety of professionals from different backgrounds including:

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) therapists
  • psychologists
  • psychotherapists

Family therapy clinics

The Family Therapy clinic is running a hybrid model of both face to face and virtual sessions. 

The clinic is run by Systemic and Family psychotherapists. They offer a therapeutic space for children, young people and their families to work on specific concerns that have interrupted family life.

We only accept referrals to these clinics after an initial assessment is completed with the child or young person and their family.

If you are a Barnet practitioner requesting this service, then complete the BICS request for service form. 

Find out more by viewing our leaflets: 
Family Therapy Clinic Information leaflet (PDF 578 KB)
Family Therapy Clinics information for professionals (PDF 130 KB)

Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) and Refugee pathway

We aim to listen to young people who have travelled to the UK for safety, to learn from them and understand how we can contribute to improving their future outcomes. 

We offer a range of specialised  interventions and community groups to help promote wellbeing in children and young people going through the asylum seeking or refugee process. 

Our hope is that this pathway will positively impact how young people engage with their own wellbeing.  

We aim to:

  • promote wellbeing
  • reduce the symptoms of emotional distress using trauma and attachment informed approaches
  • help with cultural integration and the strengthening of social identity
Refugee organisations that can help (ODT, 57Kb)

Family friendly resources

Youth Justice Liaison and Diversion

The Youth Justice Liaison and Diversion Service (YJLD) offers mental health screening to all young people (under 18) detained by the police or in police custody, at the police station or in the community.

The YJLD worker is based within the Youth Justice Service (YJS) and works closely with YJS workers.  The YJLD worker also offers consultation and training to the YJS.

After completion of the mental health screening, young people can be referred to the YJS Clinical Practitioner for further mental health support. 

Barnet Professionals can refer to the YJLD if a young person has not already been contacted, or if they later consent to be screened, by referring them on ChildView. 

Feedback

We want to make sure that mental health and wellbeing is everybody’s business.  

We are always pleased to hear from children, young people, and families and would love to have you involved in shaping our service. 

There are a variety of ways you can have your say.  For example, joining focus groups, surveys, campaigns, supporting content creation, being on recruitment panels and more.  

If you would like to get involved or would like further information, please contact our Youth Engagement Officer, via BICS@barnet.gov.uk

Contact us

If you have any questions about the services we offer, contact us by: 

  • emailing BICS@barnet.gov.uk for general enquiries
  • calling our support line on 020 8359 3130, available Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm

Note that BICS is not an emergency service. If you have any immediate risk concerns you should contact: 

  • the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) Team on 020 8359 4066 

  • the Barnet Enfield Haringey Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (BEH CAMHS) Crisis Line on 0800 151 0023 

  • the emergency services on 999