1. What is The Life Matters Charity?
The Life Matters is a UK-based charity dedicated to preventing self-harm and suicide among children and young people. We provide early intervention, promote self-healing and offer educational accredited programmes to children, families, and professionals.

 

2. Who can access your services?
Our services are available to children and young people aged 8–18, as well as their families, carers, and professionals working in education, healthcare, and social services.

 

3. What kind of support do you provide for young people?
We offer one-to-one support through our accredited A Childs Voice 10-week self-healing programme all grounded in evidence-based approaches focused on prevention, connection, and resilience building. Including safety planning.

 

4. Are your services confidential?
Yes. We take confidentiality very seriously. However, if a young person is at risk of significant harm, we follow safeguarding procedures to ensure their safety while still involving them in the process as much as possible.

 

5. Do you offer support for parents / carers and families?

Absolutely. We take a whole-family approach to mental health and emotional wellbeing. Our parent and carer support includes:

• participation in the child's  Self-Healing Programme

• tailored advice and guidance for managing day-to-day challenges

• signposting to additional services when needed.

We aim to empower families / carers and enable them to support their children effectively with understanding, and confidence. 

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We also offer parents / carers the option to complete the 'A Child's Voice' one day training course which enables them to deliver and follow the 10-week programme with their child. See training for details 

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6. What training do you offer for professionals?

We offer

• Designated Safeguarding Lead Training

​Our CPD-accredited Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) training provides comprehensive, legally informed instruction on safeguarding best practices. The programme covers key areas including recognising early warning signs of abuse, effectively supporting children at risk, responding appropriately to disclosures, and creating safe, responsive environments across schools, care settings, and frontline services.​

All content is grounded in current legislation and statutory guidance to ensure compliance and confidence in safeguarding responsibilities. Environments in schools, care settings, and frontline services using laws and legislation

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• Training to support and deliver the  A Child’s Voice workbook programme 

The A Child’s Voice CPD-accredited training programme by The Life Matters equips participants with the skills, insight, and confidence to listen to and respond effectively to the emotional needs of children and young people for self-healing over a 10-week period.

​Rooted in the child’s voice, trauma-informed and child-centred practices, the training empowers participants to:

 

• Recognise subtle signs of distress in children and young people, including non-verbal communication and behavioural changes that may indicate emotional pain, self-harm, or safeguarding concerns.

• Create psychologically safe environments where children feel heard, seen, and valued—particularly during moments of crisis or emotional vulnerability.

• Strengthen relational practice by fostering trust, empathy, and consistent communication with children.

• Respond with sensitivity and skill to disclosures or emotional expression, using evidence-based approaches that prioritise the child’s voice and experience.

• Integrate reflective practice into their daily work, helping professionals to better understand their own responses and ensure emotionally attuned support.

• Apply learning in real-world settings, including schools, care environments, social work, and youth services—ensuring that children are not only supported but genuinely heard.

 

7. How can I refer a child or young person to your service?
Referrals can be made by:

• Schools

• Professionals working in a profession that also involve children

• Social services

• Early help

• Parents and carers

• Young people themselves

• ​GP Practices via the Joy APP service​

Via our referral form on the charity website or by contacting our team directly. We aim to make the referral process as straightforward and supportive as possible

 

8. Is there a cost for accessing your services?
Our training programmes and specialised services carry a fee, but we always strive to ensure cost is not a barrier to access. Please contact us for further information.

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9. How can I support The Life Matters Charity?
You can support us by donating, fundraising, volunteering, or partnering with us. Every contribution helps us expand our reach and provide life-saving support to more children and families.

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10. What should I do if a child I know is in immediate danger?
If you believe a child or young person is at immediate risk of harm or suicide, call emergency services or contact your local social services team immediately - Report a concern 

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