Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children or Young People

This is a doctor based in the community who treats patients with minor or chronic illnesses and refers those with serious conditions to a hospital. You should see your GP if you are feeling unwell or require any medication.

You should attend every six months following your first visit. It is important to brush your teeth twice per day with fluoride toothpaste and a good toothbrush for two minutes each time. The dentists in Liverpool currently have waiting lists so you may not have a check straight away. If you are experiencing any pain with your teeth or mouth, please speak with your support worker, social worker or Children in Care specialist nurse.

You should attend every two years following your first visit. The optician will check your eyes to ensure that you do not need glasses and will also assess your eye health.

Care for yourself at home:

• Minor cuts and grazes
• Minor bruises
• Minor sprains
• Coughs and colds

Local expert advice:

• Minor illnesses
• Headaches
• Stomach upsets
• Bites and stings

Non-emergency help:

• Feeling unwell? 
• Unsure?
• Anxious?
• Need help?

Out of Hours: Call 111

• Persistent symptoms
• Chronic pain
• Long term conditions
• New prescriptions

• Breaks and sprains
• X-rays
• Cuts and grazes
• Fevers and rashes

For emergencies only

• Choking
• Chest pain
• Blacking out
• Serious blood loss

Blood borne viruses (BBVs) are viruses that some people carry in their blood and can be spread from one person to another. You will be offered a screening for BBVs due to your journey to the United Kingdom. This is because many countries of origin have a higher prevalence of these diseases and you may have travelled across various countries to come here so this puts you at higher risk of these viruses. infected with a BBV may show little or no symptoms of serious disease, but other infected people may be severely ill. You can become infected with a virus whether the person who infects you appears to be ill or not. They may be unaware they are ill as some persistent viral infections do not cause symptoms. An infected person can transmit (spread) blood borne viruses from one person to another by various routes and over a long time period (HSE, 2023).

The test will check for

• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV): HIV is a virus which causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus (AIDS), a disease affecting the body’s immune system
• Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C: a disease affecting the liver
• Syphilis: a sexually transmitted infection.

This will be completed at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and they will take some blood from you for it to be tested.

During this appointment, you will also be tested for TB. This is a bacterial infection that can be spread through breathing in tiny droplets from the coughs and sneezes of an infected person. TB can cause a cough, weight loss, night sweats and high temperatures. There are two types of TB, latent and active. Latent is not contagious and active is very contagious. The tests can be completed either through blood testing or a Mantoux test. A Mantoux test involves injecting a small amount of a substance called PPD tuberculin into the skin of your forearm. This will then be checked by the team in Alder Hey 48 to 72 hours later to see if a small, red, hard lump develops. If you have a strong skin reaction to this, you may need a chest xray to ensure that you don’t have active TB. The treatment for TB is antibiotics. For further information, please visit the NHS website for more information

You will be offered immunisations as part of your health plan. These will be completed by your Practice Nurse at the GP. You will need

• Diptheria, tetanus and polio: also known as the three in one or the DTP
• Measles, mumps and rubella: also known as the MMR
• Meningitis ACWY: also known as the MENACW
• Human Papilloma Virus: also known as the HPV. This is routinely given to females but will also be offered to males born after September 2006.

To be up to date, you will require three sets of immunisations over the course of 12 weeks. You will be given DTP, MMR and MENACWY at your first appointment; DTP and MMR at your second appointment and DTP at your third appointment. Your first HPV will be given at one of these appointments. You will then require your second HPV 6 to 24 months after your first dose.

Immunisations can also be known as vaccines. They are the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases (NHS, 2023). There are misconceptions around immunisations and you can see further information on immunisation safety on the NHS website.

Being aware of where to get support for your sexual health vital. Sex and relationships can be thought of as a private and personal matter and some of us may find the subject embarrassing and difficult to talk about. However, it is a natural part of life and it’s right for all of us to be able to enjoy a positive, happy and healthy relationship when we are ready to, and it is lawful to do so.

In the UK, young people, like you, learn about sex and relationships from their families and also from school. They learn about the prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI's) and how unwanted pregnancies can be prevented with the use of contraception. The idea is that young people can learn about these things before they become sexually active.

To have sex with a person when they have not given consent, even if you are in a relationship with them or married, is against the law, it is a crime. Consent means that we agree to something, it is a choice. Consent can be withdrawn at any time.

The age of consent in the UK is 16 years old. Sexual activity with any person without informed consent is against the law and can result in a prison sentence for rape or sexual assault, this will also affect your asylum claim. The age of consent is the same for men and women in straight (heterosexual) or same sex relationships (UASC health, 2023). If you choose to have sex, or get into a relationship, please ensure that the other young person you are with is over the age of 16 and that you have their consent.

As a teenager, you may decide that you want to have a boyfriend or girlfriend. This is okay and completely natural, but also we understand that some teenagers would prefer to not be in a relationship. We want you to feel happy and safe in a relationship. A healthy relationship is when everyone feels respected, trusted and valued for who they are.

A healthy relationship includes:

• Good communication: You and your partner can talk openly about things without feeling scared of what might happen or being judged for what you’ve said
• Mutual respect: You listen to each other and respect each other’s boundaries. And nobody does anything to make you feel uncomfortable, scared or humiliated
• Trust: You can trust each other without getting jealous, including being able to spend time with other people
• Honesty: Being able to say what you think and feel without censoring yourself or worrying what might happen
• Equality: Nobody in a relationship should have power over the other person, and it’s never okay for someone to force you to do something
• Being yourself: You’re able to keep being yourself, doing things you enjoy and spending time with friends and family outside of the relationship.

Even when it feels like you need your relationship, it can still be unhealthy or abusive. There might be one thing that makes you question your relationship, or lots of little things. You can access more information on the NSPCC and Childline websites.

An unhealthy relationship can look like

• Your partner going through your phone
• Being criticised for how you look, or having to change your appearance
• Getting bullied, hurt or hit, this is always abuse
• Feeling pressure to do sexual things or send naked pictures of yourself
• Being stopped from seeing people, or getting jealous if you do
• Feeling like you’re not in control of what you do or say
• Receiving gifts, but being made to feel like you need to do something in return

More information around consent can be found at the Disrespect Nobody website or getit.org.uk.  There is a translate button for many languages.

Liverpool have a place called Axess who offer support and advice regarding sexual health for young people aged under 19.

They offer contraception and STI testing and are based at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, The Beat in Liverpool City Centre, South Liverpool Treatment Centre and Hanover Street in Liverpool.

You can access further information regarding sexual health at the Axess Clinics website

As an unaccompanied asylum seeking child or young person, you have been subjected to adverse childhood experiences. These can affect your emotional and physical health. You are also more susceptible to post traumatic stress disorder due to your journey and things you may have experienced.

Looking after your mental health is so important.Here are some practical ways you can do this:

Connect with people, this can help you to build a sense of belonging and self worth, to give you an opportunity to share positive experiences and to provide emotional support and allow you to support others. You can do this by spending time your friends and family, volunteering, playing games with friends and family. Using technology can help too if people are not close by, but don’t rely on technology alone.

Be physically active, it can help raise your self esteem, help you to set goals or challenges and achieve them, it causes a chemical change in your brain to help positively change your mood (this is the Endorphins we spoke about earlier).

Learn new skills, this can help in boosting your self confidence and raising self esteem, help you to build a sense of purpose and help you to connect with others. You can learn loads of new things, such as learning to cook, trying a DIY project, signing up for new courses, or trying a new hobby such as a new sport or learning to paint.

Give to others, this helps to create positive feelings and a sense of reward, helps in giving you a feeling of purpose and self-worth and helps you to connect with other people. You can do little things such as saying thank you to someone for something they’ve done, spending time with people who need support, offering help to others and volunteering in your community.

Pay attention to the present moment (mindfulness), paying more attention to the present moment can improve your mental wellbeing. This includes your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you.

If you ever feel like you’re struggling with your mental health, you need to speak to someone you trust and to seek support from your GP, Children in Care specialist nurse, social worker or support worker who will be able to talk to you about what help you can get.

Young Person’s Advisory Service website.
For urgent mental health support, please call our 24/7 freephone helpline: 08001456570

The age to legally consume alcohol in the UK is 18 years old.

Know the risks:

Drinking alcohol can damage a child’s health, even if they’re 15 or older. It can affect the normal development of vital organs and functions, including the brain, liver, bones and hormones.

Drinking at an early age is also associated with risky behaviour, such as violence, having more sexual partners, pregnancy, using drugs, employment problems and drink driving.

If you are drinking alcohol, it is important you know your limits and what to do if you feel too drunk. You should make an adult aware that you’re drinking and alcohol and where you are. You should always call 999 if you feel unsafe or suspect you have alcohol poisoning or you or someone you’re with is dangerously intoxicated.

If you have alcohol poisoning it can affect your balance and speech, as well as the nerves that control breathing and heartbeat. It can stop your gag reflex from working, putting you at serious risk of choking to death, especially if you vomit. Expansion of blood vessels near the skin caused by alcohol, lack of perception of danger and falling asleep without adequate protection in cold weather can all lower body temperature, leading to hypothermia. Knowing basic first aid is always a good idea.

The use of drugs in the UK is illegal at any age. There are several risks associated with taking drugs such as:

• Liver, kidney and heartproblems
• Increased risk of mentalhealth problems
• Financial implications
• Damages relationships withothers
• Your safety and others isreduced and you’re more likely to make poor decisions.

For more information you can visit the Talk to Frank website

If you feel that you need support with drug or alcohol use, please contact the below service who can support you:

We Are With You: 01517020655 or the We Are With You website

The legal age to smoke cigarettes or vapes in the UK is 18 years old. Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Smoking also increases risk for tuberculosis, certain eye diseases, and problems of the immune system, including rheumatoid arthritis.

You can access the Smoke Free Liverpool website if you need support to stop smoking.