Agenda item

Jane Tipping, Head of Mental Health Commissioning

NHS England requires CCGs to submit a refreshed version of the Local Transformation Plan (LTP) for the development of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) within their localities.

The first Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent LTP for Children and Young People’s Mental Health was approved on October 2015. Additional NHS national funding had enabled a programme of investment to improve the local offer and mental health outcomes for children and young people. The refresh provides an update on progress and challenges associated with the delivery of CAMHS Transformation by 2021, across two local authorities and the six CCGs within Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent.

Progress differed across the whole LTP on a locality basis relating to northern and southern Staffordshire due to commissioning priorities, funding availability and having two NHS providers. Progress to date and plans and aspirations to achieve further improvements required up to 2021.

The current LTP was based on the existing Emotional Well-Being Strategies which ran until 2018. Work was underway to review and develop a new strategy. Government policy was focussed on seeking improvement in this area. Identified outcomes against existing priorities were summarised. Services were required to collate outcome measures and to review these regularly.

Board members asked whether the priorities going forward involved any further investment or disinvestment. The LTP looked for CCGs to invest in some areas recognising an anticipated increase in demand for these services, especially around crisis and intensive support. Implementation of the recent Green Paper on greater access in schools to mental health services would require investment. Disinvestment was unlikely and there was an expectation that there would be some shift in base line budgets towards enhancing mental health provision. Investment in mental health services was being monitored by Government.

Board Members discussed existing provision within schools. Most schools already have Safeguarding Leads who pick up on mental health needs so there was already some expertise and understanding. The thrust of the Green Paper addressed the role of schools in identifying low level needs. Schools based model and clusters would be a sensible approach: a greater presence of psychological practitioners in schools and upskilling existing staff. Board Members agreed that support within schools should be bolstered as they had background information that GPs would not be party to.

A Board Member questioned access to services: how good was young people’s knowledge of the offer or those who could advocate for them? Generally access to services came through GPs. Dissemination of information and signposting would be improved especially around the digital offer for young people. The Strategy under development would have young people at the front and centre and would engage with parents and carers too. Future referral pathways will include self-referral and the digital offer will be increasingly relevant.

League table of children’s mental health placed Staffordshire as having greater wellbeing in this area than the national average by 1%. In terms of access to services, Staffordshire compared favourably with its peers.

RESOLVED That the Health and Wellbeing Board endorse the updated Local Transformation Plan which set out the progress to date and plans to meet national guidance as set out in the NHS and Local Government policy document – Future in Mind.