‘Talk’ Single Point of Access service for young people’s mental health live from 2nd June 2025
May 30, 2025
Following an announcement earlier this year, Isle Listen is launching ‘Talk’, the new single point of access service for young people’s mental health referrals, commissioned by Manx Care.
Talk, which is led by qualified and accredited therapists, goes live on 2nd June and will process new mental health referrals for young people up to the age of 18. Under the service, new referrals will be triaged, and where appropriate, assessed and treated by Isle Listen’s clinical team, rather than joining the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) waiting list.
As well as processing all new referrals, Talk will assist CAMHS with their current therapy waiting list. Existing CAMHS clients will continue to be seen by CAMHS. The new centralised service also replaces Isle Listen’s existing referrals process. Whilst new referrals will be processed by Talk, the services will work collaboratively to ensure those with complex or high-risk needs receive prompt assessment and treatment, from an alternative service if necessary.
Referrals can be made by parents, carers, education or health staff (including GPs) or other professionals for children and young people who require support. Additionally, Talk will accept self-referrals. When making a referral for a young person, their consent must be sought. Parental consent should be sought for referrals for those under the age of 16. However, if a young person who is under 16 wishes for their parent/carer not to be contacted about their referral, there is an option on the form for them to request an assessment of Gillick-competence by Isle Listen. More information on Gillick Competence can be found on the talk website: talk.islelisten.im.
As a new service, Talk is inviting feedback and queries on the service. If you are unsure if a Talk referral is relevant to your situation, please contact the Talk team for more information and they will be more than happy to help. Call 01624 679544.
Speaking about Talk, Andrea Chambers, CEO at Isle Listen said “Talk is a long overdue addition to young people’s mental health services on the Isle of Man. Isle Listen has been delivering a variation of this vital service, at cost to the charity, for the last 5 years. We are grateful to Manx Care for recognising the value of the therapeutic work we have been undertaking, often picking up where funded services have not had the capacity. We are delighted to be working with CAMHS to deliver a more accessible approach to young people’s mental health.”
Andrea continued, “A lot of hard work has gone into the provision and launch of Talk, and we are pleased to see the service come to fruition. We hope that Talk will enable easier access to mental health care for our Island’s young people.”
Speaking of the wider impact of the charity, Andrea added “It is important to note that whilst Talk is a commissioned service, Isle Listen still operates as a charitable initiative, providing preventative mental health education in 95% of the Island’s schools, with no government funding. As we enter this new phase of our charity, now more than ever we need your help to continue to support our Island’s mental health, with a goal of one day reducing the need for our therapeutic services.”