Plans for a new forum where parents and carers can discuss self-harm among young people received a £900 grant this week from North Hertfordshire District Council’s Royston and District Area Committee.

This new initiative is in response to an audit by Public Health that showed that self-harm hospital admissions in Royston and the surrounding areas are among some of the highest in Herts.

The forums are being set up across the area by North Herts Emotional Support in Schools Service.

Councillor Bill Davidson, vice chairman for the Royston and District Area Committee, said: “Parents and carers can find it hard to cope with and understand a child or young person with self harming behaviours.

“It may also be difficult to know what to do for the best. This forum aims to raise awareness of the issues and give those people advice and support.”

NESSie is supported by the Royston Schools Academy Trust, working with all pre-schools and schools across North Herts.

The service aims to use the forums to support parents and carers in confident approaches to positive physical and mental health, including how to spot the signs of self-harm, provide training on what to do about it and how to safeguard young people against it.

Dates for the forums will be advertised from January 2017 onwards.

The plans also coincide with figures released by the NSPCC last week which state that nearly 19,000 children and young people in England and Wales were hospitalised as a result of the behaviour last year, an increase of 19 per cent in three years.

The children’s charity says the figure highlights the crisis many young people face as they struggle to cope with the pressures of modern day life.

Rachel Lambie, NESSie’s co-ordinator and schools counsellor said: “We are so grateful for this grant,”

“It is so important to include parents, carers and grandparents in supporting young people in positive physical and emotional health and this money will get the ball rolling!”

For more go to www.nhdspl.org.uk/nessie.