Children & Young People Mental Health and Wellbeing Sub Group

“A Sense of Belonging”

The remit of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Sub Group is to progress the agreed priorities of “A Sense of Belonging”. Lothian Joint Strategy for improving the metal health and wellbeing of Lothian’s population 20111-2016. The Strategy recognises that ddifferent groups of young people are affected by inequalities, in mental health or associated areas. For example:

  • lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) young people are more likely to self-harm
  • young men are more likely than young women to be at risk of suicidal behaviours looked after and accommodated children and young people are known to have much poorer social and health outcomes than their peers
  • children and young people with a chronic illness and / or chronic pain problems are known to be an increased risk of developing mental health difficulties.
  • children whose family circumstances are disruptive, challenging or negative are also known to be at greater risk of developing mental health problems. This includes children affected by parental substance misuse and young carers.

The strategy seeks to ensure that all children and young people are given opportunities to develop key life skills, build meaningful relationships and hold positive self-regard. This is in accord with Getting it Right for Every Child which emphasises wellbeing at the heart of every intervention and relationship with every child.

Agreed Priorities

The agreed priorities for action are:

  • Ensure children and young people have early access to services that address social, emotional and behavioural needs, and are involved in the design of these services
  • Support mental health projects and initiatives which demonstrate improved outcomes in working with looked after and accommodated children, children affected by challenging family circumstance including parental substance misuse, and children and young people affected by poverty
  • Further develop consultation and liaison services to support foster carers, residential unit staff and staff working in education settings, and work to a co-production model in these settings
  • Support interventions and projects providing an intensive support service on a multi-agency basis to children and young people most at risk.
  • Support the development of healthy schools and settings through Confidence to Learn, Curriculum for Excellence, 12S Project and other settings-based approaches across Lothian, with an emphasis on raising awareness of issues for young people affected by inequalities
  • Ensure that CAMHS and Adult Services prioritise the needs of vulnerable children and young people, including meeting the challenges of transitions
  • Take account of the policy framework for self-harm, across all ages, but with a particular reference to young people, as at this life stage coping strategies are being formed which can become life-long behaviours
  • Promote and support close liaison between paediatric health services and mental health services to ensure vulnerable children and families can be identified and receive appropriate care, treatment and support
  • Work in partnership across agencies to raise awareness of resilience and risk factors for this life stage, to ensure services build in protective aspects to their work
  • Support education and employment routes for children and young people

At this year’s “Taking Stock” (yearly stakeholder event which considers progress made and priorities for the forthcoming year) it was agreed that there needed to be a greater focus on progressing the agreed priorities. To assist with this theJoint Mental Health and Wellbeing Programme Board agreedthat a sub –group be established with invited membership drawn from

  • The Four Children’s Service Partnerships
  • Public Health
  • Strategic Planning
  • Children and Families Operational Services

The sub-group will be chaired by the Strategic Programme Manager, Mental Health and Wellbeing.

Approach

Thegroup will focus on progressing the agreed priorities by:

:

  • Reviewing the evidence base for effective practice, mapping existing interventions, good practice and potential gaps;
  • Identifying effective early interventions that build resilience of individual children, young people and communities;
  • Reviewing outcome measures of existing services and interventions and identifying areas for improvement;
  • Improving the pathway of care, ensuring children and young people have the right help at the right time to support their mental health and well-being – where they do not, identifying collaborative solutions;
  • Sharing learning across partners and geographical areas in order to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people at local and Lothian-wide level

Frequency

The Children & Young People Mental Health and Wellbeing Sub Group will meetno fewer than 4 times a year. The first meeting will take place on Tuesday 25 November from 10 am to 12 noon.

Reporting

The group will report on progress to Lothian’s Joint Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategic Programme Board and Lothian’s Joint Children and Young People Health and Wellbeing Programme Board.

Membership

Membership is confirmed / invited from:

Area / Nomination requested from / Confirmed Member
Strategic Planning, Mental Health and Wellbeing / Linda Irvine
Rachel King
Children’s Health Commissioner / Sally Egan
Strategic Planning, Children and Young People / Michelle Rodgers
Public Health, Children and Young People / Dona Milne
East Lothian Children’s Services Partnership / Sharon Saunders / TBC
Midlothian Children’s Services Partnership / Mary / TBC
Edinburgh Children’s Services Partnership / Gillian Tee / TBC
West Lothian Children’s Services Partnership / Jennifer Scott / TBC
East Lothian Joint Planning, Mental Health and Wellbeing Group / Christine Chambers / TBC
Midlothian Joint Planning, Mental Health and Wellbeing Group / Martin Bird / TBE
Edinburgh Joint Planning, Mental Health and Wellbeing Group / John Armstrong / TBC
West Lothian East Lothian Joint Planning, Mental Health and Wellbeing Group / Graham Paxton / TBC
Children and Young People’s Operational Services / Cathy Richards (CAMHS) / Mike Massaro Mallinson
Third Sector Interface (Children and Young People) / Elliot Stark (East Lothian)
George Wilson (Midlothian)
Ella Simpson (Edinburgh)
Jim Gallacher (West Lothian) / TBC
TBC
TBC
TBC

Linda Irvine

20 October 2014