"Next Step helps to provide a structure and enables me to really focus on the young person in front of me." - Mental Health Therapist
Next step is designed to support anyone who cares for children and young people. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, mental health professional or commissioner of health and social care services, Next Step is a tool that helps young people to communicate on their own terms, in their own environment.
Created by both young people and mental health experts, the colourful toolkit provides the perfect platform to enable safe and structured conversations with young people who may be struggling with their emotional health and wellbeing.
How does it work?
Next Step is a set of 52 unique cards, with each card representing a particular mood, thought, action or goal. In a one-to-one scenario, Next Step will take you and a young person on a journey, encouraging them to discuss their thoughts and feelings and empowering them to set their own goals.
The Next Step online application allows you to record and measure how a child or young person is progressing with an emotional issue.
How do I get Next Step for the young people I support?
To purchase Next Step, or to speak to one of the Next Step team, contact cwp.
Download and share our Next Step flyers!
“It makes issues more tangible. I like the way that it breaks down goals into specific steps.” CAMHS Counsellor
There has been a threefold increase in the number of teenagers who self-harm in England in the last decade.
Setting goals is clinically proven to increase self-confidence and help achieve better outcomes. Next Step supports young people to feel in control of their mental health and emotional wellbeing.
The kit:
- Is designed to support the use of ‘Goal Based Outcomes’ - a nationally mandated outcome measure used in NHS Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services
- Demonstrates reliable change in young people’s progress towards their goals
- Provides a way of tracking progress between each session and identifies a definitive end point to intervention
- Encourages young people to lead the conversation and identify gradual steps to improve emotional wellbeing
- Uses a solution-focused process to help young people achieve their goals
"It helped the young person to point out what was going well and what wasn’t. It helped us to focus on the positives as well as looking at the areas to build on." - Clinical Psychologist
Rates of depression and anxiety among teenagers have increased by 70 per cent in the past 25 years
Next Step enables adults take a whole-person approach to supporting a young person with their mental health and emotional wellbeing.
The kit:
- Empowers young people and supports shared decision making
- Encourages discussion around strengths as well as areas of need
- Covers areas important to young people, such as friends and community
- Helps young people articulate what is important to them
- Was co-produced by young people using NHS Children and Young People Mental Health Services
