Forensic CAMHS
This is a specialist regional service covering the South West, including Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire.
About us
We respond to professional concerns about mental health or neurodevelopmental difficulties in young people with risky behaviour towards others, or those who are involved in the youth justice system.
Expertise
Our team has particular expertise in:
- working at the interface between health, youth justice, welfare, and education systems
- supporting other services involved with helping high-risk young people
- understanding the difficulties and dilemmas associated with the care of high-risk young people.
Referrals
To access South West (North) Community Forensic CAMHS, please complete a Referral Form, which we will review within one week.
For urgent cases, please contact us for an initial telephone discussion.
Referrals can be made by professionals from all agencies working with young people, their parents or carers.
We provide consultation to professionals about the interaction between a young person’s mental health and their risk of harm to others.
On occasions, FCAMHS input may progress to direct assessment of the young person.
The MICA Study
Oxford Health is part of the MICA (Mentalization Intervention for Children and Adolescents) study, a national research trial for young people referred to FCAMHS due to aggressive or violent behaviour.
MICA is a randomised controlled trial (RCT). This means young people who take part will be allocated to receive either support as usual or support as usual plus Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT).
MBT aims to help young people better understand their own thoughts and feelings, and those of others, to support safer relationships and reduce aggression.
Participant recruitment runs from November 2025 to September 2027.
For more information, please contact: MICA.FCAMHS@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
You can also read more and watch a short animation here: About the MICA study
Downloads
- Information leaflet for professionals (pdf)
- Information leaflet for parents (pdf)
- Information leaflet for young people (pdf)
Non-urgent advice: Get in touch
If you would like more information, please contact:
- Forensic CAMHS
- Phone: 01865 903 038
- Email: fcamhsswn@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
- South West (North) Forensic CAMHS referral form (docx)
Page last reviewed: 19 June, 2026