THE council has launched a helpline for parents and carers worried about children’s welfare amid the coronavirus lockdown.

Brighton and Hove City Council said it had set up the service in the interests of young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

Schools in the UK shut last month in a response to the coronavirus pandemic. Most pupils are now learning from home, with the exception of key workers’ children and those considered vulnerable.

The council helpline allows concerned parents and guardians to talk to a primary mental health worker from its schools’ wellbeing service and arrange telephone consultations.

If you need to access the service, you can email SWSConsultationLine@brighton-hove.gov.uk or phone 01273 293 481.

If you require immediate support, contact your GP, call Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services on 03003 040 061 or go direct to A&E.

  • The coronavirus Sussex Crisis Fund has been set up to help those affected by the pandemic. The Argus’s charity and American Express have each donated £50,000 to kick-start the appeal. Grants will usually be for up to £5,000. More information is available at www.sussexgiving. org.uk/apply. To donate visit www.totalgiving.co.uk/appeal/sussexcrisisfund