Agenda item

To approve and endorse: A thriving community of children and young people in Surrey. A strategy for their emotional wellbeing and mental health 2019 – 2022.

Witnesses:

Julia Cramp, Children’s Services Consultant (Children, Families and Learning)

Key points raised during the discussion:

1.    The Executive Director for Children, Families and Learning introduced the Strategy and explained the background to its development. The Children’s Services Consultant discussed the Strategy’s development process and the way in which it offered a clear vision that was spread across all of the relevant agencies. She also requested the opportunity to present at a future Board meeting in order to give an update on the work that had been done during the transformation period outlined in the Strategy. Responding to a question about the timeframe of the Strategy, the Children’s Services Consultant then informed the Board that it covered the period 2019-2022.

2.    The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families welcomed the Strategy and stated that the Surrey Youth Cabinet voted in 2016 that mental health was one of the biggest issues facing young people. She also discussed the increase in central government funding for mental health and asked how the Council may be able to request a share of that money. In response, the Children’s Services Consultant spoke about the work being undertaken with CCGs to make sure that funding was used to help implement the Strategy. The Executive Director for Children, Families and Learning added that social media has an impact on many of the issues outlined in the Strategy and told the Board that the department was aiming to invest money in early intervention in schools.

3.    The Police and Crime Commissioner welcomed the report and spoke about the issue of children who go missing due to emotional and mental health problems. He discussed the improvement in coordination amongst partners in recent years but told the Board that more work needed to be done before the problem could be reduced to a manageable level.

4.    The Chief Executive of Healthwatch Surrey discussed the Strategy’s governance model and asked what the Board would see and at what point. She also questioned what the key milestones of the performance indicators were and who had ownership of performance management. The Board then heard from the Children’s Services Consultant that discussions were underway regarding the governance of the model and what needed to be done to make sure the right partners were included throughout the transformation process.

5.    Referring to the third recommendation outlined in the report, the Chairman spoke about there being an expectation that the Board would help drive the Strategy forward and continue to offer its recommendations and advice as the transformation process progressed.

Actions/further information to be provided:

1.    For the Board to inform Children’s Services of what they wished to see in the Strategy and how success could be best measured.

Resolved:

The Board:

1.    Agreed to sign off the Strategy.

2.    Approved the request to present a new model for service delivery detailing the future vision for Children and Young People’s Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Services at a future Health and Wellbeing Board meeting.

3.    Agreed to take a role as systems leaders to ensure join up across the system and facilitate partnership working for all priority partners.