Agenda item

Report of the Head of Schools and Families

Further to Minute No. 102 of the Cabinet meeting of 11 January 2018, the Committee considered the report of the Head of Schools and Families highlighting the work done on implementing each of the agreed recommendations contained within the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Final Report.

This Committee had established a Working Group in July 2016, to review the CAMHS Service across Sefton. At its meeting on 5 December 2017, the Committee had considered the Working Group Final Report and commended it, together with the recommendations, to the Cabinet for approval. Following Cabinet approval in January 2018, the Committee had asked for an interim report on the recommendations of the Working Group.

The report set out the background to the matter, together with an update against each of the recommendations made by the Working Group and agreed by Cabinet.

Fiona Taylor, Chief Officer for NHS South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Southport and Formby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), was in attendance from the CCGs to update the Committee.

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

• Concerns had been expressed at the last meeting regarding the waiting times to access services.

The average waiting time from referral into the service was now 23 weeks. The first assessment waiting time was 7-10 weeks.

·         Were the CCGs satisfied with the current waiting times?

The CCGs were not content with the waiting times but were contributing additional funding to the Provider and working with the current Provider to improve performance. Investment was also being made with the Voluntary, Community and Faith (VCF) sector, as some organisations provided certain services.

·         Could Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust be considered as an alternative Provider?

Mersey Care was registered to provide services to adults, not children and young people.

·         What was an acceptable waiting time to access services?

Ideally, waiting times should be zero. The NHS Constitution provided for 18 weeks waiting time and the CCGs would like to see 18 weeks waiting time to be achieved, as a minimum.

·         At what point would the CCGs consider withdrawal from the contract with the current Provider?

Consideration would be given at the end of the current financial year. The CCGs would at least expect the waiting times to be reduced by then.

·         A number of initiatives were being provided for children and young people and these would be evaluated by Liverpool John Moores University.

The Committee would be interested to see the results, once available.

·         Mindfulness was used in adult services and Members expressed surprise that it was not adopted by schools.

Mindfulness tended to be an expensive intervention and whatever interventions were implemented needed to be sustained. Interventions adopted tended to be evidence based as they were able to be evaluated.

·         A Task and Finish Group had been established to develop an on-line resource for schools to access information for pupils’ emotional health and wellbeing needs. Was there any update on this?

An update could be obtained prior to a further report providing an annual position.

·         The CCGs had undertaken a piece of mapping work on “Every Child Matters” and this could be provided to Committee Members.

·         Would the THRIVE model affect the service and the way it was provided?

The model was used to locate the child in its environment, with a view to understanding a child’s challenging or troubling behaviour or communication.

·         Further information on performance and patient experience could be provided to Committee Members.

·         A further update on CAMHS would be made available to the Committee in January 2019.

RESOLVED: That

(1)       the report be noted; and

(2)          the Head of Schools and Families be requested to submit a further update on CAMHS to the Committee in January 2019 and this be included in the Committee’s Work Programme for 2018/19.