Advice and signposting

All conversations need to be approached with care, dignity and be free from presumption and assumptions. Advice and support should be delivered in an appropriate area where the young person feels comfortable talking and expressing their needs. Providing clear and easy-to-understand information in an appropriate format also needs to be considered. This may include:

• Providing writing materials so they can write information down in their own words
• Allowing information to be recorded so they can listen back to instructions later
• Having short conversations with breaks in between to allow the young person time to understand the information being presented to them
• Having a selection of leaflets and other written materials available, including some with pictures
• Arranging a time to come back to further explore their concerns and ask questions.

Brief interventions can be beneficial to young people too. For instance, pharmacy teams can play a role in advocating the benefits of smoking cessation, a healthy diet and increased physical activity to help with both mental and physical health. A variety of possible interventions and resources are listed in Table 1.