Agenda item

Question

Healthwatch Wokingham Borough have collated serious concerns from professionals, young people and parents about the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Wokingham Borough.  A comprehensive independent review of CAMHS was undertaken a year ago. We understand that this service will not be recommissioned but that a local action plan for Wokingham is currently being finalised.   Can you tell us who and which organisation is taking lead responsibility for turning this failing service around? Healthwatch Wokingham Borough believes that young people in Wokingham Borough are at risk of increased distress due to the lack of timely and effective emotional support being provided.

Question

Healthwatch Wokingham Borough have collated serious concerns from professionals, young people and parents about the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Wokingham Borough.  A comprehensive independent review of CAMHS was undertaken a year ago.  We understand that this service will not be recommissioned but that a local action plan for Wokingham is currently being finalised.  Can you tell us who and which organisation is taking lead responsibility for turning this failing service around?  Healthwatch Wokingham Borough believes that young people in Wokingham Borough are at risk of increased distress due to the lack of timely and effective emotional support being provided.

Answer

Wokingham CCG are concerned about the reported serious concerns reported by Wokingham Healthwatch.  The CCG would like to see a copy of any report by Healthwatch in order to respond to specific concerns raised.  Numerous local, regional and national reviews into emotional health and wellbeing services for children and young people have been published over the past 12 months including a Berkshire CCG commissioned review which was published on the Wokingham CCG website last year.  Since then “You said, We Did” update on progress has also been published by the CCG in December 2014.  Both reports are also available on the Wokingham CCG website in a Young Person friendly format.

http://www.wokinghamccg.nhs.uk/mental-health/review-and-outcomes-of-berkshire-camhs

‘Future in mind – promoting, protecting and improving our children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing’ (March 2015) makes a number of proposals the government wishes to see by 2020.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-mental-health-services-for-young-people

These include:

• tackling stigma and improving attitudes to mental illness
• introducing more access and waiting time standards for services
• establishing ‘one stop shop’ support services in the community
• improving access for children and young people who are particularly vulnerable

The report sets out how much of this can be achieved through better working between the NHS, local authorities, voluntary and community services, schools and local services.  It also makes it clear that many of these changes can be achieved by working differently, rather than needing significant investment.

“Future in Mind” recommends the development of Transformation Plans for Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing which clearly articulates the local offer.  These Plans would cover the whole spectrum of services for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing from the health promotion and prevention work, to support interventions for children and young people who have existing or emerging mental health problems, as well as transitions between services.  It is anticipated that the lead commissioner, in most cases the Clinical Commissioning Group, would draw up the Plans, working closely with the Health and Wellbeing Board partners including local authorities.  All these partners have an important role to play in ensuring that services are jointly commissioned in a way that promotes effective joint working and establishes pathways.

Wokingham CCG will be working with partners to develop a Transformation Plan.  Lead responsibility will be confirmed in due course.  Given the complex commissioning arrangements in Wokingham there is a need for close partnership engagement.

There are bits that I can come on to but I think the main part is that the CCG have not seen a copy of your report so they are somewhat blind to exactly the specifics of what it says so what I would suggest is that, unless there is a particular reason why you could not, if you could let the CCG and us have a copy of the report.

There was further discussion regarding the Healthwatch Wokingham Borough report.