Published on: 12 August 2024
This week and next will be an anxious time for many parents and teenagers, with both A-level and GCSE results being published: A-levels on Thursday 15 August and GCSEs on Thursday 22 August.
If a young person you care for or know is set to receive their results, please try to stay positive.
Some may feel frustrated that they have not received the grades they wanted, others may be relieved that they are over and many may feel uncertain as to what the future may hold.
Remember that no one is defined by a grade on a piece of paper. They have worked hard and deserve their success; but if the results are not what they hoped for, there are other ways forward.
A-level students may be looking towards university, they may be planning a gap year, they may have an apprenticeship place or a job. If university was planned and grades are not what was needed, there are options, including sitting the exams, appealing or applying through clearing.
GCSE students may need particular grades for a college or sixth-form place, or for an apprenticeship. If these grades are not achieved, again there are options, such as sitting the exams this autumn, appealing or retaking the year. In the first instance students should talk to their school or college about this.
Urgent mental health support services
If you, or someone you care for, needs urgent mental health support, there are a range of options available to support you. These are summarised below, or you can find more information online – on the 'help in a crisis' page on the Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust website or on the ‘Derby and Derbyshire emotional health and wellbeing’ website. Remember: in a medical emergency or life-threatening situation, please attend your nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) department or call 999.
Mental Health Crisis Support Drop-In Services
There are three crisis support drop-in services open Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons in Buxton, Swadlincote and Ripley. These drop-in services, run by Derbyshire Mind in partnership with local community organisations, offer an out-of-hours friendly and welcoming community support space open to anyone over 18 experiencing a mental health crisis or emotional distress. This is an opportunity to get support and help in a relaxed and comfortable environment. All three services are open Fridays and Saturdays 6pm to 11pm, and Sundays 2.30pm to 5.30pm.
- The Buxton service is located at Zink in the Market Street Car Park (top of Clough Street), SK17 6LJ.
- The Ripley service is at The Croft, Slack Lane (just off Ripley Market Place), DE5 3HF.
- The Swadlincote service is at 12-14 West Street (opposite the Empire Cinema), DE11 9DE.
Full details of all three services are on the Derbyshire Mind website.
Safe Havens
These centres, in Derby and Chesterfield, are open every evening from 4.30pm to 12.30am and are places where people can get support when they feel overwhelmed or unable to cope.
- Derby’s Safe Haven, run by Richmond Fellowship, is at 309 Burton Road, Derby DE23 6AG. Tel: 0330 008 3722
- Chesterfield’s Safe Haven, run by the charity P3, is at 188 North Wingfield Road, Grassmoor, Chesterfield, S42 5EJ. It can be contacted through the Derbyshire Mental Health Helpline on 0800 028 0077 or you can self-refer by making a booking on the P3 website.
Derbyshire Mental Health Helpline and Support Service – 0800 028 0077
This free helpline is staffed by NHS professionals from Derbyshire Healthcare and advisers from the charity P3. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for residents of Derby and Derbyshire of all ages, adults and children alike. There is now a new option for Deaf people and those with a hearing impairment to contact the helpline via the SignVideo app.
Learn more at www.derbyshirehelpline.com
The helpline works closely with the Safe Havens and also Derbyshire’s Crisis Houses, which offer short-term residential accommodation to people with urgent mental health needs, to support their wellbeing.
Help Us, Help You – NHS Talking Therapies
The NHS is encouraging anyone struggling with feelings of depression, or anxiety such as excessive worry, panic attacks, social anxiety, post-traumatic stress, or obsessions and compulsions, to seek help through NHS Talking Therapies services. These are effective, confidential and free treatments delivered by trained clinicians, online, on the phone, or in person.
If you’re struggling with feelings of depression or anxiety, seeking help through an NHS Talking Therapies service can be one of the best steps you can take to overcome mental health issues and get back on track.
You do not need to have a diagnosed mental health problem to refer yourself to an NHS Talking Therapies service. Getting support as soon as you start having difficulties can help to reduce their impact.
For those whose first language is not English, talking therapies can be delivered through multi-lingual therapists or through confidential interpreters, and in British Sign Language (BSL) through SignHealth’s NHS Therapies for Deaf People service.
Your GP can refer you for NHS Talking Therapies, or you can refer yourself online at nhs.uk/talk.
Useful websites
These websites have lots of information about other support services and community groups in the local area:
- Derby and Derbyshire emotional health and wellbeing website
- Hub of Hope website – this website also has information about support available nationwide
There is also some good advice and links to explore, that can offer support on how to deal with issues around results day stress on the Samaritans and Young Minds websites.
