Agenda item

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 Schools and Families in consultation with the Head of Children’s Social Care be requested to work with the Head Teachers Associations to consider incorporating Emotional Health and well-being into the Personal and Social Education Curriculum;

(7)      the Head of Regulation and Compliance be requested to approach Alder House with a view to extending an invitation to all Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services and Safeguarding) to attend a site visit to Alder House;

(8)      the Director of Social Care and Health in consultation with the Head of Children’s Social Care be requested to work in collaboration with the Clinical Commissioning Group for both Southport and Formby and South Sefton, be requested to identify and release funds to Emotional Health and well – being specifically Tier 1 and Tier 2 to invest in Early Intervention and Prevention;

(9)      the Chief Officer for both South Sefton and Southport and Formby Clinical Commissioning Groups be requested to notify the Head of Regulation and Compliance of the re-aligned budget allocation for Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Sefton as a result of Recommendation (8) above;

(10)    the Chief Officer for both South Sefton and Southport and Formby Clinical Commissioning Groups be invited to a future Meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services and Safeguarding) to present its budget allocation for Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Sefton;

(11)    the Head of Schools and Families in consultation with the Head of Children’s Social Care be requested to provide an annual update in relation to the implementation of recommendations to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services and Safeguarding);

(12)    the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services Final Report be referred to the Health and Wellbeing Board for information and comment; and

(13)    the Chief Executive be requested to write to the Chief Officer for both South Sefton and Southport and Formby Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), requesting the CCGs to respond when the final report is 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, in due course.

Reasons for the Decision:

The Working Group had made a number of recommendations that required approval by the Cabinet.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

No alternative options were considered.  The Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services and Safeguarding) established a Working Group to review the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service in Sefton and the Working Group had performed this task.