Agenda item - Children & Young People Mental Health Services

Report of the Chair of the Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee (copy attached).

7.1      This item was presented by John Child, Chief Operating Officer; and Anna Moriarty, Associate Clinical Director for CAMHS, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Also in attendance were Claudia Griffith, NHS Sussex Chief Delivery & Strategy Officer; Lizzie Izzard, NHS Sussex Head of Children & Young People Mental Health Commissioning; and Emma Sharpe, the council’s Schools Mental Health Lead.

7.2      Ms Griffith outlined the structure of children & young people mental health services, and the roles played by NHS providers, the local authority and schools in delivering services. Ms Griffith told the committee that:

·       There have been recent improvements in waiting times for wellbeing services

·       Waiting times for CAMHS (child & adolescent mental health services) remain high but are falling

·       There has been a significant increase in demand for neurodevelopmental CAMHS in recent years, and there are long waits for assessment. Services acknowledge the negative impacts of these waits on young people and their families

·       Transition from young people’s services to adult services is recognised as of key importance

·       Services recognise the key role that service user experiences can have in service transformation

·       Improvement priorities include early intervention, better crisis services and the development of improved pathways for neurodevelopmental CAMHS.

7.3      Members asked questions about issues including: waiting times for young people in care; workforce capacity; referrals for eating disorders; support for young people who are waiting for assessment; involvement of young people in service planning; transition planning; support for parents; pilot work on ADHD and autism pathways; and gender dysphoria.

7.4      John Child agreed to share additional data with the committee on eating disorder services. Claudia Griffith suggested that the committee might consider a future item focusing on eating disorders/healthy weight, to be jointly presented by NHS and council Public Health services.

7.5      RESOLVED – that the report be noted.