Agenda item

To consider the Mental Health Services for Young People Task Group’s final report and to determine whether to endorse the group’s recommendations.

(Report attached, presentation to follow)

Councillor Nina Wood-Ford, Chair of the Mental Health Services for Young People Task Group, gave a presentation on the findings of the Group and its recommendations.   This included information in respect of the background to the setting up of the Task Group and how it linked to the Council’s Strategic Purposes.  As it was such a broad subject it had been agreed that the group would concentrate on services for children and young people.  Information was provided in respect of those at higher risk of mental health and wellbeing problems together with details of the situation in Redditch.  Councillor Wood-Ford also highlighted that there were a number of changes which were underway including actions delivered in line with the Worcestershire Transformation Plan for Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing, the West Midlands Combined Authority Mental Health Commission’s Thrive West Midlands Action Plan and the Suicide Prevention Plan for Redditch.

Councillor Wood-Ford explained that the group had put forward seven recommendations which were designed to help young people and the people who worked with them.  All these proposals were based on the evidence gathered and had unanimous, cross-party consensus.  Whilst the group were aware that recommendations to partner organisations did not have to be accepted, it was hoped that they would be supported.  Details of each recommendation were then given together with the thinking behind them and brief details of the supporting evidence.

Following the presentation Members thanked the group for their detailed and comprehensive report.  A number of points were made in respect of the Transformation Plan and the work that it contained, due to concerns that this would be expensive and questions were raised as to whether funding for this was available.  Officers confirmed that the plan was already in place and was being delivered on a rolling basis; a number of the actions had been carried out, some were on going and a number remained to be addressed.  The plan had also been refreshed in recent months.

Members subsequently discussed a number of areas of the report in more detail, including the following:

·                The work of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) team and the allocation process for their services.

·                Difficulties in engaging with young people. 

·                It was confirmed that although the group had sent a questionnaire to all local schools only four had responded.

·                The data that had been considered by the group.  Officers agreed to provide Members with the data from the Redditch Health Profile for 2016 and the Redditch Health and Wellbeing Profile for 2013 for information.

·                The group agreed that there was some very good work going on and that mental health was an issue which was now openly spoken about.  This had helped raise the profile of mental ill health and the need for support.

·                The need for support and training to be made available for those who had contact with the young people at an early stage, for example within schools.

·                It was confirmed that the funding available took into account population per clinical commissioning group area.

Following the discussions Officers highlighted a number of points which had been raised by external witnesses once the report had been published within the agenda.  In respect of Recommendation 2 the Change Champion referred to for the Connecting Families Team it had been suggested it would be helpful to clarify whether this arrangement should be for Redditch only, as it was acknowledged that there were different Connecting Families teams across the county.  In respect of Recommendation 3 the group have been advised that a different department at Worcestershire County Council organised Youth Mental Health First Aid Training and it was therefore suggested that the words “Public Health Department” be removed from the wording.  The Committee were also asked to note that the 50% cuts to Early Help this was to the Early Help provider in Redditch not to the whole of the Early Help which covered a range of difference services.

It was also confirmed that the recommendations 1, 2 and 3 were to external organisations, recommendations 4, 5, and 6 were to the Executive Committee and recommendation 7 was a resolved item for this Committee.

RECOMMENDED to the Emotional Wellbeing and CAMHS Partnership Board that

1)        Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) should not withdraw services from young people who fail to engage during their appointments; and  

2)        a representative of the new Liaison and Diversion Service for Worcestershire should work as a Change Champion in Connecting Families once the service starts to operate in the county.

RECOMMENDED to Worcestershire County Council that

3)        Worcestershire County Council should review the provision of Youth Mental Health First Aid training to determine whether a concessionary rate could be offered to enable staff from smaller Voluntary and Community Sector organisations to participate.

RECOMMENDED to the Executive Committee that

4)        The Leader of the Council should write to the Secretary of State for Education, the Rt. Hon. Justine Greening, urging her to ensure that Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) Lessons, to include lessons about mental health and wellbeing issues, become a statutory part of the national school curriculum;

5)        a new theme should be added to the Council’s grants programme which is dedicated to projects which help people experiencing mental health and wellbeing problems; and

6)        Senior officers, following consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Corporate  Management and Housing respectively, should review the implications for Council Services of the following actions detailed in the West Midlands Combined Authority Mental Health Commission’s Thrive West Midlands Action Plan:

          Action 4: the proposal to evaluate a financial incentive to encourage companies to demonstrate their commitment to mental health and wellbeing.

          Action 5: the proposal to help people to gain housing and work (including potentially supported accommodation).

          The outcomes of this work should be reported for the consideration of the Executive Committee.     

RESOLVED that

the Mental Health Services for Young People Task Group reconvenes in 12 months’ time to receive monitoring updates from officers about progress in the Borough with the implementation of:

a)        the actions detailed in the Worcestershire Transformation Plan for Children and Young People’s Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health;

b)        the West Midlands Combined Authority Mental Health Commission’s Thrive West Midlands: An Action Plan to Drive Better Health and Wellbeing in the West Midlands; and

c)        the Suicide Prevention Plan for Redditch.