Issue - meetings

Report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance

Further to Minute No. 28 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services and Safeguarding) of 5 December 2017, the Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance that formally presented the final report of the Children and Adolescent (CAMHS) Mental Health Working Group.

Councillor Hands, Lead Member of the Working Group, and Councillor Webster, Member of the Working Group, presented the final report to the Cabinet, placing on record their thanks and appreciation to the other Members of the Working Group, Councillors Bennett, Keith, Spencer and Associate Member Miss Libby Kitt of Healthwatch Sefton, and to Ruth Harrison, Democratic Services Manager.

Councillors Hands and Webster referred to some of the issues found during the duration of the Working Group including waiting times; difficulties obtaining information on good practice on emotional health and wellbeing in schools; issues with transitionary arrangements; issues with budget allocations and commissioning arrangements; and difficulties in obtaining information from different organisations.

Cabinet Members thanked Working Group Members for producing the report and expressed concern regarding the findings of the Working Group, together with the necessity for the Council to monitor CAMHS.

The Chair proposed an additional decision to be included, requesting the Sefton Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to respond when the final report was considered at the Health and Wellbeing Board and to provide responses back to both the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services and Safeguarding) and the Cabinet on the findings of the Working Group.

Decision Made: That:

Subject to the inclusion of an additional decision (13), the recommendations of the Children and Adolescent (CAMHS) Mental Health Working Group be approved, as follows:-

(1)      the Clinical Commissioning Group for both Southport and Formby and South Sefton be requested to issue a statement to Alder Hey expressing concerns regarding all waiting times within the referral into CAMHS process and notifying them that unless improvements are made within a reasonable timescale (6 months) then notice will be given to terminate the contract;

(2)      the Head of Schools and Families in consultation with the Head of Children’s Social Care be requested to investigate with all sectors of schools and colleges the feasibility of providing Emotional Health and well-being training to nominated staff working in Sefton’s Schools;

(3)      the Head of Schools and Families in consultation with the Head of Children’s Social Care be requested to work with the Head Teachers Associations to investigate establishing an Emotional health and well- being mentoring scheme;

(4)      the Head of Children’s Social Care in consultation with Sefton CVS, be requested to provide a comprehensive list of all voluntary and charity groups that work with emotional health and wellbeing, publishing the list on the website, the Council’s website and disseminating the information to all Schools throughout the Borough, signposting individuals to all the groups available;

(5)      Merseycare be requested to investigate setting up a transitional arrangement in the Borough for outreach facilities for CAMHS ages 16 – 19 years (25 years for Looked After Children);

(6)      the Head of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 102

Report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance formally presenting the final report of the Children and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) Working Group. The Committee had established the Working Group at its meeting on 12 July 2016 and the Final Report of the Working Group was attached to the report.

The majority of recommendations contained within the report were in relation to collaborative working and would require officer capacity to address. The financial funding requested had been allocated by the Government to Clinical Commissioning Groups to be spent on CAMHS. Working Group Members were seeking assurances that the money allocated in this area was spent on CAMHS.

The Terms of Reference for the Working Group had been as follows:-

·         Clarify the regulatory and policy framework for commissioned CAMHS service.

·         Clarify the extent of the provision of these services and ascertain the availability for Children and Young people in Sefton in terms of capacity, referrals and quantitative service data.

·         Clarify the process by which referrals are expected to be made who can make a referral and how, received and the process for how the referrer is communicated with and what is communicated.

·         Clarify criteria by which a referral is screened at first point of contact. This in particular to understand how risk is assessed and managed in early stage of referral to point of treatment.

·         To understand the plans put in place for discharge.

·         Understand the route back to support.

·         Collect the experiences of Children and Young People and in particular explore the experience for Children and Young People with additional needs.

·         Ascertain the beneficial outcomes that could be attributed as a result of access to commissioned CAMH services.

·         Review the provision of CAMHS against the emerging Children and Young People Emotional Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

·         Report to Cabinet on its findings.

Councillor Hands, Lead Member of the Working Group, presented the Working Group’s Final Report to the Committee.

Members of the Committee asked questions/raised matters on the following issues:-

·         Following the previous Overview and Scrutiny review in 2010/11 on CAMHS, it was disappointing to learn that delayed waiting times for users to access services had not improved;

·         Concerns were held regarding the transitional arrangements for CAMHS ages 16-19 years (25 years for Looked After Children) as they were problematic and required improvement;

·         It was disappointing that no representations had been received from Head Teachers of secondary schools towards the review;

·         The importance of early intervention and prevention, particularly within schools; and

·         Additional information could be provided on the work being undertaken by the Integrated Commissioning Group into identifying gaps in services.

Debbie Fagan, Chief Nurse, South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Group and Southport and Formby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), indicated that the Chief Officer of the CCGs would like to respond on the Final Report at a future date. She also emphasised that any future re-procurement of the CAMHS contract would require a formal legal process to be followed.

Members of the Working Group, together with Ruth  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28