Skip to main content

Accessibility controls

Text size

Contrast

Multimedia

Looking after our community and providing excellent care

Young People

Between the ages of 11 and 26, young people experience a lot of changes mentally, emotionally and physically.  It is also a time of life when there is a normally a lot of changes as they go through school and enter further education and the workplace.  This can be a time of additional pressure and stress.

Young Scot provide a range of information and materials and can be accessed here.  Some of the information covers the following topics:

Puberty

Puberty is the series of changes our bodies and brains go through as we grow to become sexually mature adults.  For more information, please use the following links:

Puberty FAQs: Girls

Puberty FAQs: Boys

Stress

Life is full of challenges and pressures but when these get too much and start affecting you badly this is called stress. Stress can be caused by many things including exam pressures and relationship pressures.

For more information

Mental health

At all stages of life it is important to care for your mental health.  Positive mental health can be supported in a number of ways including sleeping well, eating a healthy diet, getting exercise and having positive relationships.  However, many young people suffer from poor mental health.  The Young Scot websites gives information for young people on supporting positive mental health as well as information relating to mental health issues.

Find it

If you, or someone you know, is struggling with their mental health, please contact your GP in the first instance or, if feel that your safety or theirs is at risk, please phone 999 for immediate help.

There are also other resources available for young people:

Online safety

Need advice about keeping safe online?  Think u know has lots of information and advice for young people to keep the internet fun as well as safe.

Find it

Employability

It can be difficult making that leap from education into work. For support in writing CVs, interviews and job seeking:

Skills Development Scotland

Immunisations for teenagers

There are a number of immunisations offered to young people aged 11-24 in Scotland.  For more information on these immunisations, please visit:

NHS Inform: Immunisations

For more information on any of the above, please contact the Public Health Department at The Balfour, Foreland Road, Kirkwall Tel: 01856 888084.

Getting in touch

We shall be delighted to hear from you, so here are the various ways of contacting us:

The Balfour

By telephone to:
01856 888100
(during office hours)

01856 888000
(out of hours)

By e-mail to:
ORK.feedback@nhs.scot

By letter to the address below:

Foreland Road
Kirkwall
Orkney
KW15 1NZ