The Hangout is a mental health and wellbeing hub for young people aged 11-17 in Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot. We’re run by the charity Platfform and funded by The Welsh Government – Sustainable Social Service’s Grant.
Timetables and Contact Information
We’re open every Monday – Thursday, 3.30pm – 7.30pm.
Days with social space availability are split by age, but young people of any age can access 1-1 support on any day.
| Day | Opening times | Availability |
| Mondays | 3.30pm – 7.30pm | 1-1s drop in, social space for 11 – 13 year olds |
| Tuesdays | 3.30pm – 7.30pm | 1-1s drop in, social space for 14 – 17 year olds |
| Wednesdays | 3.30pm – 7.30pm | 1-1s drop in, social space for 11 – 13 year olds |
| Thursdays | 3.30pm – 7.30pm | 1-1s drop in, social space for 14 – 17 year olds |
Who can access the hangout?
The Hangout doesn’t have any formal criteria that young people need to meet to access us. We’re ‘open access’ because we know that everyone can benefit from mental health and wellbeing support at some point. This means that anyone aged from 11 up until their 18th birthday in Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot can come to us.
If we feel like a young person could benefit from some additional support as well as The Hangout, we have another project at Platfform called the ‘Swansea School Based Counselling’ project which offers more structured 121 wellbeing support and counselling through weekly sessions, which we can refer to in house. If there is a need, we are also able to signpost to other organisations such as CAMHS, Early Help Hubs, or the Crisis Team for additional support.
Although we don’t have a criteria for access, we are not a youth club service. We encourage young people to explore other community settings if they’re looking for a space to exclusively get involved in activities and youth work.
Safeguarding and Confidentiality
Our team are trained in keeping young people safe, and are able to support young people through whatever they need. While we keep most of the things that young people speak to us about confidential, if we are worried that a young person may be at risk of harming themselves or others then we will share this information. This may be with an adult at home or school, or with other services such as A&E, the local council, or the police. Where possible, this is discussed with the young person beforehand.
Young people can also ask us to share information with different adults in their life. We’re happy to do this.
If a young person is experiencing a mental health crisis, we help to keep them safe by making a safety plan, and encourage them to share it with adults at home. We carry out risk assessments if we feel a young person is at risk of harm. If a young person is in crisis and not accompanied by a safe adult, we will contact their emergency contact to collect them.
We encourage young people to stay at The Hangout for the duration of their stay rather than dropping in and out, so that our staff know where they are. We do not routinely contact parents or carers to inform them of young people’s arrivals or departures. If this is something that you feel is necessary, it can be organised following a discussion with a member of the team.
FAQs
What do you do for those turning 18?
Our partner project, Swansea School Based Counselling (SBC), supports young people up to age 19 in Swansea. In the lead up to a young person turning 18, they’ll be offered a supported transition to this project if there is a need. We don’t end suddenly with young people on their birthday.
For safeguarding reasons, we don’t have people aged 18+ accessing our social spaces. If those over 18 are looking for spaces to connect, we can support with signposting to other organisations.
Can I come for a look around, or wait during sessions?
We’re happy to show trusted adults and professionals the space.
You’re also able to wait in the reception area while a young person in your care has their 1-1 session, however we do encourage that young people access the space independently following initial sessions.
Can young people come on their own?
Yes. Lots of young people access The Hangout on their own, especially after their first time visiting. Some young people travel to and from the space independently. We are able to support them with travel advice.
What kind of things can you support young people with?
We offer a wide range of support to different young people experiencing different challenges. We often support young people with topics like bullying, anxiety, feeling low, self-harm, friendship difficulties, family challenges, living circumstances and more.
Support isn’t one size fits all, so we’re able to discuss anything a young person would like to. If we think that support from another team would be useful, we’ll suggest this to the young person (& their trusted adults if appropriate) and can support with referrals while they’re accessing us.
Do you have a waitlist?
No. Young people can access support from us on the first day they visit. If there are specific requirements for support (such as times or days), it may take a little while to accommodate this, however this rarely takes more than a week.
Are you able to diagnose and prescribe?
No. If we think that a young person could benefit from some additional or specific support, we’re able to signpost to the relevant professionals.
Do you have any support for families, parents or guardians?
No. If you are a parent/guardian looking for support, you can contact us on swanseahangout@platfform.org and we can signpost you to other services in the area.