Agenda item

Dave Holman (Head of Mental Health Programme Area, NHS West Kent CCG) and Karen Sharp (Head of Public Health Commissioning, Kent County Council) were in attendance for this item.

(1)       The Chairman welcomed the guests to the Committee. Mr Holman introduced the item and showed a ten minute video which featured service users discussing improvements to emotional wellbeing services.

(2)       Mr Holman explained that mental health services for children and young people were of local and national concern. Half of all adults with mental health problems were diagnosed in childhood; if not treated appropriately there were poor outcomes for later life. He noted that only 6% of the national mental health budget was spent on services for children and young people. Following concerns raised by HOSC in January 2014 about the performance of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust contract, a review was carried out and a whole system approach to children and young people’s mental health was agreed. Mr Holman reported that the Trust had been rated outstanding in caring for children and young people’s mental health services and good in well-led in the recently published CQC inspection report. Mr Holman noted that in April 2014 a transformation programme was established to ensure whole system commitment and agreement through a range of partners. The Transformation Programme regularly reported to the Children’s Health and Wellbeing Board and the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board and strategic summit events.

(3)       Ms Sharp explained that the development of the strategy and delivery plan had been driven by a desire to engage with and listen to the views of children, young people, families and professionals via a range of online surveys, workshops and engagement events. In addition to the engagement activity, the content of both the strategy and delivery plan was also directed by the findings of the refreshed Emotional Wellbeing Needs Assessment.

(4)       Mr Holman stated that Part One, the Strategic Framework, had been signed off by the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board. The Strategy had four overarching outcomes: early help, access, whole-family approach & recovery and transition. He reported that there was a golden thread running through each outcome was developing community resilience. He explained that Part Two, the Delivery Plan, was a working conceptual document. He noted that the Young Healthy Minds and Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust contracts had been extended by one year to enable a new model service specification to be developed prior to the formal procurement process which would begin in autumn 2015. A technical group would also be established to look at capacity management and resource allocation.

(5)       Ms Sharp noted that the emerging model included the promotion of emotional wellbeing; a single point of access; increased availability of consultations; developing a whole family protocol; multi agency tools and protocol to identify children and young people who have been affected by Child Sexual Exploitation. She highlighted that the development of the Strategy and Delivery Plan had not been at the expense of the current contract.  Mr Holman offered to return to the Committee in September with the final version of the strategy.

(6)       Members proceeded to make a number of comments and questions. A Member asked about the involvement of the Kent Youth County Council in the development of the Strategy and the delivery of services to children and young people in rural areas. Ms Sharp stated that KCC Youth Health Champions had been engaging with the Kent Youth County Council. She noted that it would be timely to go back to them with an update on the strategy. Mr Holman explained that the commissioners were working with primary care to deliver the same services in rural and urban areas.

(7)       In response to a specific question about the cost of the new service model, Mr Holman explained that a financial breakdown would be included in the papers to the Committee in September. He noted that current funding remained static; there could be additional money from NHS England to fund eating disorder and psychosis services and government funding as part of its national review. He reported that there was a growing parity of esteem between adult and children mental health funding within CCGs; NHS West Kent CCG was lobbying hard to improve the provision for children and young people. Ms Sharp stated the importance of building an efficient sustainable service.

(8)       A number of questions were asked regarding the involvement of the youth service in early intervention; mental health services for younger children particularly in deprived areas; mental health services for children and young people from minority and hard to reach groups and the provision of counsellors within schools. Clarification was sought in relation to swift access to appropriate Early Help services. Ms Sharp committed to returning to the Committee in September to provide answers to the Members’ questions. She noted that the health visiting contract would be transferring from NHS England to Kent County Council in October 2015 which would include maternal mental health services to support women and their children.

(9)       A Member requested the latest Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust performance data by district. Mr Holman agreed to provide this to the Committee. Mrs Allen, Chair of the Corporate Parenting Panel and the Children's Social Care and Health Cabinet Committee, requested that the video be shown to both Committees at their next meeting.

(10)     RESOLVED that the report be noted and NHS West Kent CCG and Kent County Council be invited to submit the final version of the strategy and provide answers to questions raised at today’s meeting to the Committee in September.