Action East Devon is a values based, local charity working with young people and their families across East Devon, to create the services and support they need to live happier and healthier lives.

We run mental health and wellbeing support services, working with children, young people and their families. We work in communities and schools in East Devon and have an experienced team of Wellbeing Workers.

We are passionate about mental health and wellbeing support at a local level. Our collaborative network continues to grow as we develop solutions that support and promote the health and wellbeing of our local population, in response to the demands of a changing health and social care landscape.

Strategic commitments for 2024-27

• To continue to provide early intervention support for young people with mental health issues aged 13 – 25 through peer-to-peer support groups and 1 to 1 mentoring. We aim to build their self-confidence and self-esteem and help them learn how to take care of themselves. And to know how and when to ask for help before they reach crisis point.
• To intervene earlier by including 11- and 12-year-olds (Years 7 & 8) in peer support groups. We will work with young people, community partners and parents to develop services to meet their needs.
• To continue to provide early intervention support for young people aged 11 – 18 through 1 to 1 school mentoring in secondary schools. We aim to build their self-confidence and self-esteem and help them learn how to take care of themselves. And to know how and when to ask for help before they reach crisis point.
• To intervene earlier by developing transitional support workshops to help with the challenges of moving from primary to secondary school and from secondary school to further education. We will work with young people, community partners and parents to develop services to meet their needs.
• We will involve young people in shaping the way that services are delivered and supporting them to advocate for better wellbeing and mental health services by sharing their experiences to influence leaders and decision makers.

Who we work with

At Action East Devon we work with community and voluntary groups across the district and we set a high value on our place in the local community.

We collaborate with people who share our commitment to working with East Devon’s diverse population to identify their needs and help them develop their own solutions. We have a strong track record of working in partnership with stakeholders across the voluntary and public sector in our local area. We sit on the Local Care Partnership (Eastern) steering group for children and young people’s wellbeing along with the steering group for the Wellbeing & Health Action Team (WHAT) and the Families Minds Partnership, to ensure the voice of our service users is heard throughout the sector.