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About us

YPAS is a Merseyside-based Charity, Established in 1966. We serve a population of over 150,000 children and young people. We support children and young people aged 5 – 25 years and families to address their mental health and emotional well-being difficulties.

YPAS is a Youth Information Advice and Counselling Service (YIACS) that provides free, accessible, and age-appropriate support to young people with a wide range of issues. YIACS is driven by the needs of children and young people.

Our services are delivered across Merseyside in venues that include, primary and secondary schools, our three locality community hubs, GP surgeries, and education settings etc.

What does YPAS help with?

YPAS helps with many difficulties that children, young people, and families experience. These difficulties can often impact how we feel, affecting our everyday mental health and emotional well-being.

Our therapy service provides a wide range of counseling and psychotherapy interventions designed to help address those issues that impact mental health and emotional wellbeing. Common presenting issues include anxiety, depression, bullying, self-harm, sexual abuse, family-related issues, emotional abuse, neglect, bereavement, grief, loss, domestic violence, hearing voices, etc.

Our wellbeing service provides a wide range of support and low-intensity evidence-based interventions designed to address the impact of mental health and emotional wellbeing. The service provides open-access groups, drop-in activities, information, advice, and guidance. Common presenting issues include anger, isolation, confidence, self-esteem, family-related issues, education, housing, benefits, etc. In addition, the service provides targeted support to LGBTQ+ young people who are exploring their sexuality and or gender identity.

Our Mission

Our mission is to improve the mental health and emotional wellbeing needs of children, young people and families in a non-stigmatized environment, that allows us to:

Deliver a wide range of support and therapeutic interventions
Reach children, young people and families as early as possible
Consistently monitor progress and change
Work jointly with professionals across health, education and social care
Include children, young people and families in the design and delivery of services
Ensure services and pathways are accessible

Our Vision

We will listen, support and empower them to achieve this by providing high quality information, advice, guidance and therapeutic services. YPAS is of a diverse community where children, young people and families feel:

Safe
Valued
Respected
Included
Motivated

Equality and Diversity

The Young Persons Advisory Service consists of a diverse community of staff, children, young people, parent/carers and families and welcomes all views and feedback from the communities it serves. YPAS is committed to providing and promoting equality and opportunities that allows everyone to be involved in shaping the delivery of our services.

By accessing our website you have joined the YPAS community and here you will find our comments, compliments & complaints (CCC) form, which we encourage you to share your thoughts about our services and social media content.

YPAS recognises its accessibility limitations and has a strategy for addressing these limitations. YPAS sets annual quality objectives with comprehensive actions plans and dedicated task and finish groups. A copy of our strategy is available on request from [email protected].

Amazing, thank you for the information and support. It's a scary world being a parent to a child with ASD but now I feel there is light at the end of a very dark tunnel. Such a lovely, friendly team. Thank you.
Parent/Carer

I worked with Emily. I enjoyed talking about what's going on in my life whilst it is being fun, it's never 'there's something wrong', it's always 'how do we help you' which I like. Emily is amazing, she's helped me so much and she's just a lovely person!!!
Young Person Aged 15

YPAS was the first organisation that took me in and also the quickest, Sonia helped me get through a very difficult stage in my life and has bettered me as a person. I feel better equipped to deal with situations in life and my mental health has improved overall because of it.
Young Person Aged 20

My son has loved coming to sessions each week with Lisa. He has calmed down a lot. This has been a fantastic service with people who genuinely care. Thank you, Lisa!
Parent/Carer

I felt progression and I found my strength and resilience through the sessions. I am proud of myself for staying strong and showing my commitment through the past months of my sessions. I also gained a handful of coping strategies and I maintained my balance by controlling my worries.
Young Person Aged 18