We want to keep young people smiling.

Mental health problems are difficult obstacles for anyone to overcome. But what if that person is a child or a teenager? And what if it could have been prevented?

We’re working with a number of agencies across Dorset, including the NHS and local councils, to develop plans to support children and young people to have good emotional health and wellbeing.

These plans aim to make sure children and young people across the whole of Dorset are happy, resilient and less likely to suffer mental ill health.

The first step in this partnership is to develop the children and young people’s Emotional Health & Wellbeing Strategy 2012-15.

This sets out the vision and principles for what support should be available to support young people to have good emotional wellbeing and mental health.

We’ve listened to what children, young people, families and professionals have told us and, along with the recommendations made by the government, have developed this proposed strategy document.

Once this has been agreed, we will be working with children, young people and their families as well as professionals and services to make things happen.

It is important for us to know what you think needs to be included in this plan, particularly how we achieve our vision, and whether you would like to be involved in this work. We would value your views on whether we have got this right and you can provide these through a short survey. The survey is open for feedback until Friday 6 May.

You can also sign up to be involved at the next stage.