Agenda item

Report of Matt Gilks, Coventry and Warwickshire CCGs and Richard Limb, CAMHS Programme Manager  

The Board considered a report and presentation of Matt Gilks, Coventry and Warwickshire CCGs and Richard Limb, CAMHS Programme Manager which sought endorsement for the year five refresh on the CAMHS Local Transformation Plan. A copy of the Transformation Plan Year 5 Refresh was set out at an appendix to the report.

The report indicated that it was a requirement from NHS England (NHSE) for Clinical Commissioning Groups to develop a CAMHS Local Transformation Plan, working with their local partners to set out a strategic vision for delivering improvements in children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing over a five-year period 2015-2020. Clinical Commissioning Groups were required to refresh plans on an annual basis to demonstrate progress and outline priorities for the forthcoming year.

This was the fifth year of the CAMHS Local Transformation Plan refresh, highlighting progress against the priorities for 2019/20 and further progress planned for 2020/21. This year’s refresh, which was due to be published in March 2021, had been delayed due to Covid-19 pandemic. Refreshed plans were reviewed by NHS England. There was a requirement for the plans to be developed collaboratively with key partners.

Since the last LTP refresh in October 2019, focus had been on the response to Covid-19 pandemic. The system had to make significant changes in order to adapt the emotional wellbeing and mental health offer ensuring local children and young people’s needs were met. The report outlined the key progress against 2019/20 priorities

The presentation set out the principles of CYP Local Transformation Plans along with the highlights of 2020-21 which were as follows:

·  Early help and prevention: Expansion of Mental Health Support Teams, delivery of Wellbeing for Education Return

·  Eating Disorder pathway/ services: Funding secured to expand the Eating Disorder team up to the age of 19 and work to support those with ARFID.

·  Children and young people experiencing mental health crisis: Think Family team, CIC escalation meetings, People Too Review, Social Care working in Crisis Team, 24/7 Crisis Line.

·  Digital interventions: Attend Anywhere, 24/7 Crisis Line, Kooth, Healios and Dear Life.

·  Children and young people voices: People Too, 18 –25 co-production and peer mentoring programme.

·  Transitions 18–25: Establishment of Transitions Working Group, commissioning of Peer Support programme.

The presentation also highlighted the following challenges of 2020-21:

·  Children in Crisis: System capacity to meet demand and complexity of need

·  Access rates, timeliness and effectiveness: Of emotional wellbeing and mental health support available to children and young people 0 to 25

·  Eating Disorder pathway / services: System capacity to meet demand and emergence of ARFID

·  Vulnerable children and young people: Impacts of Covid exacerbating or creating additional vulnerabilities

·  Children and young people voices: Engagement restricted due to Covid limitations

·  Ability to measure outcomes: System wide data collection and analysis.

The Board were informed of the ambitions for CAHMs for the current year relating to integration; access rates; early intervention and prevention; eating disorders; collaboration; vulnerabilities; coproduction; data integration; and recovery.

The presentation also set out the Delivery Plan Priorities for 2021–22 which were:

·  Children in Crisis: development and progression of the Multiagency Working Group and its delivery plan – including workforce and implementation of multiagency dashboard. 

·  Eating Disorders: Achievement of constitutional targets, expansion up to the age of 19 & AFRID.

·  Transitions 18 – 25: Commission Peer Support programme.

·  Early Intervention/ prevention: review of Kooth, expansion of MHSTs.

·  Access rates: Achievement of constitutional targets. 

·  Communication: Joint communication plans for LTP priorities.

·  Coproduction: Review methods of engagement & embed coproduction.

·  Vulnerabilities - CLA and YJS, neuro and learning disabilities, Unaccompanied Asylum Seeker children and CSE.

·  Suicide Prevention: Joint Suicide Prevention Group and implementation of Self Harm plan. 

·  Autism: Support the delivery of the All Age Autism Strategy.

The presentation concluded with details about the governance arrangements for the implantation of Plan refresh.

The Board discussed the success of KOOTH, an anonymous digital counselling and support service for children and young people to access emotional wellbeing and early intervention mental health support. It was noted that funding was not yet secured for the continuation of the project.

Support was expressed for the importance being placed of the transition phase between the child and adult mental health services.

Members asked about the collection of data and analysis, and for more opportunities for feedback from service users, parents and carers to be included in future reports.

RESOLVED that the Coventry and Warwickshire CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) Local Transformation Plan refresh for year five be endorsed.