Councillors and committees

Agenda item

Surrey's Joint Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Commissioning Strategy for Children and Young people 2014 - 2017

To outline Surrey Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Collaborative  and Surrey County Council’s  Children and Young People’s Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Commissioning Strategy. This commissioning strategy has been developed in response to the Health and Wellbeing Board priority - Improving children’s health and wellbeing.

 

Minutes:

Witnesses:

 

Karina Ajayi, Commissioner, Children, Schools and Families, Surrey County Council

 

Diane McCormack, Head of Complex Needs and CAMHS, Guildford and Waverley CCG

 

 

Key points raised during the discussion:

 

1.    The Board received a presentation. It was explained that the development of the strategy started in May 2013 in response to Health and Wellbeing Board priority of Improving children’s health and wellbeing. The strategy focus is on the targeted Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)  jointly commissioned under the Section 75 agreement between Surrey CCG Collaborative and Surrey County Council.  The strategy outlines the shared vision, joint commissioning objectives and intentions across the CCGs and Surrey County Council over the next three years.

 

2.    A member of the Board was grateful for the work being done to address Section 136 as part of the commissioning strategy but questioned whether links were being made with Surreys adult social care directorate. The Head of Complex Needs and CAMHS explained that discussions had taken place with adult social care around the surrey crisis care concordat. Discussions were also taking place with the Police to help develop work on a mental health working group.

 

3.    The Head of Complex Needs and CAMHS explained that discussions were ongoing with NHS England regarding the commissioning of ‘crisis beds’ for young people - Members of the Board agreed that having crisis beds within the county was a positive move which would stop young people with mental health issues having to travel outside the county for help and support.

 

4.    Concerns were raised around the 21 service gaps listed in the commissioning strategy, identified as part of a needs assessment that had been completed. It was explained that the service gaps would be addressed and further investigated during the re-commissioning exercise. Work was being done to ensure specific contracts were focusing on specific service gap issues. How the service gaps will be specifically addressed will be defined in the commissioning strategy’s action plan.

 

 

5.    Members of the board asked for an update report to come back to the board in three months (as part of the broader update on the ‘Improving Children’s Health and Wellbeing priority’) including the emotional wellbeing and mental health action plan and clear measures of success for the strategy.

 

6.    It was urged for work to be done with housing teams in the district and borough councils during the re-commissioning process.

 

7.    Members of the board agreed for the need to get away from a patchwork of services when dealing with mental health. There was a need to put in place clear communication to ensure people approached the most relevant service first time around.  

 

8.    Members of the Board supported the proposal to re look at the transition age of a young person with mental health issues. It was stated that work was being done  by Public Health identify the clinical evidence to support  raising the transition age to 25.

 

9.    A member of the Board expressed concern over under funding for mental health services for young people.  From the strategy, it was identified that in Surrey 6% of current investment is spent on targeted CAMHS, some members felt that adult mental health services were not adequately funded in comparison to other health services. During the discussion the Board identified a need for a joint exercise to take all existing needs assessments, identifying the gaps and overlaps, and understanding how budgets were spent.

 

10.  Work was being done with market providers, families and young people to ensure feedback from the draft commissioning strategy were creative and well informed. A member of the Board explained the importance of placing service users and families at the heart of the consultation process before approaching other avenues for consultation.

 

Resolved:

 

The Health and Wellbeing Board agreed,

 

·         To endorse the Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Commissioning Strategy for children and young people in Surrey.

 

·         For officers to bring back a progress report to the Board on the Children and Young People’s Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health commissioning strategy as part of the update on the wider ‘Improving Children’s Health and Wellbeing’ priority in September 2014.

 

Actions/Next Steps:

 

·         For an informal session around budget allocation to be set up. 

 

 

Supporting documents: