Wendy Minhinnett

Passionate about working with parents to improve children and young people’s mental health

Director at Success (North East)

Parenting Lead Charlie Waller Memorial Trust

Independent Consultant

@wendyminhinnett

07415380040

My passion and drive both professionally and personally is to improve children and young people’s mental health by working with parents and families. Providing families with the right information, support and guidance in relation to how they can support their child’s emotional and mental health can and does make a difference.

Profile and Experience:

Emotional and Mental Health Involvement:

  • Parent Co-author- MindEd for Families (What to do in a crisis & Keeping Ourselves Strong)
  • Parent representative- National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (NCCMH) Developing ways to improve access and waiting times for CYP 24/7 Crisis Care and Achieving Better Access to Mental Health Services for Children and Young People
  • Parent Involvement member Tees, Esk and Wear Valley Trust CAMHS
  • Playing an active role in Tees, Esk and Wear Valley staff recruitment and Interview panels
  • Parent representative for Tees, Esk and Wear Valley CAMHS Quality Assurance Group
  • Active member of YoungMinds Parent Say
  • Founder and coordinator Rollercoaster Parent Support Group County Durham
  • Delivering presentations, talks and workshopsaround parents experience and the role parents play in supporting their child’s mental health:
  • Tees, Esk and Wear Valley Trust Recovery Conference and Co-Production Event
  • CAMHS World Mental Health Day event
  • County Durham Emotional Wellbeing and Effective Learning Team Conference
  • National Crisis Concordat Event
  • Charlie Waller Memorial Trust Mental Health Conference
  • GP meetings and learning sessions
  • County Durham Educational Psychology Team
  • County Durham Education Health Needs team
  • NCCMH-Implementing the Evidence-Based Treatment Pathways for Children and Young People’s Mental Health Care
  • Contributed to national research carried out by The Association of Young People’s Health looking at the role of parents in supporting children with mental health problems.
  • Coordinated parent consultation events for CAMHS and inpatient services

Charlie Waller Memorial Trust Work

  • Developed an emotional wellbeing and mental health library in partnership with CAMHS
  • Co-designed and delivered three parent training sessions in partnership with CAMHS (managing self-harm, what to do in a crisis and coping with difficult feelings)
  • Lead role in developing a model for parent support groups

Employee Director Success (North East)

Founder of Success (North East) which formed as a Cooperative Community Interest company in September 2012. Success (North East) provides a range of engagement opportunities for children, young People, families in order to enhance and improve life experiences. Opportunities are based around 4 key areas:

•Children, young people’s and families positive experiences and activities

•Partnership & multi-agency working

•Creative projects based on community need

•Parental engagement activities and events

For further information about Success (North East) please visit

Multi-agency Engagement

•Founder and coordinator County Durham Emotional Wellbeing Network

  • Coordinator Chillax Young Peoples Suicide Prevention Group
  • Voluntary and Community SectorRepresentative County Durham Local Safeguarding Children’s Board Self Harm & Suicide Group

•Parent and or partner representative:

  • County Durham Self-harm & Suicide Prevention Group
  • County Durham Children & Young People Mental Health, Emotional Wellbeing and Resilience Group
  • County Durham Mental Health Partnership Board
  • Sedgefield Health Network
  • County Durham Area Action Partnerships

Voluntary roles:

  • Community Governor North Park Primary School
  • Parent Governor Whitworth Park School & Sixth Form College
  • Board member Spennymoor Area Action Partnership
  • Chair Friends of Whitworth Park School
  • Founder Once Upon a Time Parent and Toddler Group

Previous Employment Roles

  • Extended Services Coordinator, Parent Support Advisor, Fathers Development Worker, Family Support Worker, Pre-School Leader