Presentation of Michael Devine, Lead – Children and Young People, Manchester Health and Care Commissioning

This presentation provides an overview of the transformation plan for children and young people's mental health and wellbeing.

The Committee received a presentation of Michael Devine, Lead – Children and Young People, Manchester Health and Care Commissioning (MHCC) which provided an overview of the transformation plan for children and young people's mental health and wellbeing.

Representatives from the MHCC and Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) referred to the main points and themes within the presentation which included:

·         The current situation, including access rates to children and young people’s mental health services, waiting times and presenting issues and outcomes;

·         Wider community children’s mental health developments;

·         The MHCC-commissioned grants programme to engage the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector and schools in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in Manchester; and

·         M-thrive, the new delivery model of place-based care.

The Mental Health Champion shared her positive experiences of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and how the service had continued to operate through the COVID-19 pandemic.  She welcomed the M-thrive programme to improve mental health and wellbeing services for children and young people.  She highlighted that most mental ill health issues started before the age of 25 and advised that, therefore, work to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people would make a positive difference to their life chances, as well as preventing further costs later on.  She asked what percentage of the budget for mental health and wellbeing was allocated to services for children and young people, which Darren Parsonage from MHCC said he would look into.  She welcomed that waiting times were reducing and asked about the waiting time target. Maria Slater from MFT advised that the waiting time target was being reduced nationally to four weeks.  In response to a concern raised by the Mental Health Champion about the transition from children’s to adults’ mental health services, Maria Slater advised that an 18 to 25-year-old offer was being looked into so that young people would not have to transition directly for children’s to adults’ services.

Some of the key points and themes that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

·         That Catalyst, an organisation which provided mental health services to children and young people, had been producing a regular newsletter during the COVID-19 pandemic which included a lot of useful resources;

·         That young people trying to directly access support online needed a more user-friendly digital front door to help them to access services;

·         How this work fitted in with the work to become a trauma-informed city;

·         What was being done to support young people presenting with gender dysphoria; and

·         Support for young people leaving care.

Maria Slater agreed that a more youth-friendly digital front door was needed and advised that her service was currently working with a company to develop this.  She informed the Committee that the online support offer had been increased during the pandemic and that CAMHS had worked with Education Services and third-sector organisations to provide a leaflet to schools on support available.

Dr Paul Wallis from MFT assured Members that a trauma-informed approach was being embedded in M-thrive, including training on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

Darren Parsonage from MHCC reported that the support for young people leaving care had recently been increased to the age of 25 so those young people now had a contact point through their LAC (Looked After Children) Nurse for signposting and support.  In relation to young people with gender dysphoria, he highlighted the funding which had been provided to the Proud Trust to carry out work in this area.   

The Chair thanked the guests for their contribution.  He noted the reference in the report to No Wrong Door and the Alonzi House Hub Mental Health Support, and commented that this was a good initiative which the Committee supported.  He also noted the plans related to schools outlined in the presentation, including the plans for a Mental Health Lead in every school and college.  He requested that school governors be included in this and that CAMHS and the support on offer be included on the agenda of a future Chair of Governors briefing.

Decision

To request that school governors be included in the plans for schools and that CAMHS and the support on offer be included on the agenda of a future Chair of Governors briefing.