Tag: CAHMS

Mental health ‘perfect storm’ for young people

As schools reopen, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading independent and third sector providers of children’s services, has warned of a mental health “perfect storm” for children and young people.

The warning comes on the back of figures obtained by BBC Scotland via an FOI request which indicate that the number of referrals for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) has dropped by a staggering 57 per cent* between April and June 2019 and April and June 2020.

These range from a 28 per cent fall in requests for NHS Orkney to 80 per cent in NHS Dumfries and Galloway. NHS Lothian reported a drop of 48%.

The SCSC has warned that mental health services will face an overwhelming and unprecedented pressure due to pent-up demand created by the COVID-19 lockdown, coupled with a cut in youth support services. This could potentially lead to a “lost generation” of vulnerable children and young people who are missing out on the support they vitally need.

It has urged the Scottish Government to work with authorities and invest significantly in mental health services as children return to school and to ensure that teachers and other staff are aware of the services on offer for young people needing support.

The SCSC has warned that self-isolation and social distancing have had an impact on young people struggling with issues such as anxiety and depression. It has noted that even the most resilient children are going to need additional support as they navigate this transition back into whatever is the new normal, and some will need a lot of extra support.

A  report commissioned by Young Scot, YouthLink Scotland and the Scottish Youth Parliament, called Lockdown Lowdown, found almost two-fifths of young people felt moderately or extremely concerned about their own mental wellbeing.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “These latest figures are deeply troubling and point to a ‘perfect storm’ for our young people, with increased demand coupled with cuts in services.

“While referrals have dropped during lockdown and children are not accessing support, we are storing up immense problems for the future as mental health services face being overwhelmed due to greatly increased demand.

“The Government needs to work urgently with the relevant authorities to ensure that not only is there sufficient provision available at the local level, but that this is clearly communicated and easily accessible for young people and their parents or carers.

“Mental health services must be given funding and resources equal to that of physical health provision and this pandemic has ushered in an urgency and necessity that cannot be ignored.

“Not just the NHS but also third sector and other independent organisations who play such a key role in addressing mental health services must receive the funding they vitally need or we face having a ‘lost generation’ of vulnerable children and young people.” 

Support needed for children as they return to school,says NSPCC 

An NSPCC Scotland spokesperson said: “We know that many children in Scotland have suffered difficult and traumatic experiences over the past few months.

“During lockdown, we saw a rise in contacts to Childline about mental and emotional health and our NSPCC helpline made 40% more referrals to Police Scotland and local authorities.

“Now, as children across the country return to school, it is crucial they are given the support they need to help them recover from any mental and physical harm. The Scottish Government, local authorities and health boards need to ensure that they have sufficient resources in place to respond to a likely increased need for therapeutic services.”

Coalition urges government to up it’s game

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading independent and third sector providers of children’s services, is urging the Scottish Government to ‘up its game’ in response to a new report from the Mental Welfare Commission.

The report indicates that the number of young people under the age of 18 admitted to non-specialist hospital wards – mainly adult wards – for treatment of their mental illness in Scotland in 2018-19 rose for the second year running. There were 118 admissions involving 101 young people.

This is an increase on the 2017-18 figures which were 103 admissions involving 90 young people and a further increase from 2016/17 when there were 71 admissions involving 66 young people.

Admission of a young person to an adult ward should only be acceptable in rare situations.

However, despite a greatly increased demand on mental health services, there are currently only 48 specialist hospital beds provided by the NHS in Scotland for adolescents with mental health problems.

These are located in three child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) inpatient units (Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow) and there is a further six place unit for five to 12-year olds in the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow. There is no inpatient provision north of Dundee.

Given the lack of provision, many children and young people with severe mental health problems are therefore being admitted to non-specialist adult and paediatric hospital wards, settings which are in many cases inappropriate to their needs.

The coalition has urged the Scottish Government to ensure that there are adequate specialist bed numbers that can deal with the requirements and to refocus its efforts on prevention and early intervention, ensuring that issues do not escalate so that they require the provision of these specialist services. It has also called for secure impatient facilities for young people with mental health illnesses, of which there are currently none in Scotland.

Under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment (Scotland) Act 2003 Health Boards are required to provide appropriate services and accommodation for young people admitted to hospital for treatment of their mental disorder.

Given admissions to non-specialist mental health wards, it is clearly arguable whether appropriate services are being provided.

There are a number of differences between specialist units and wards designed to treat the needs of adults with serious mental illness, both in terms of staff training and the overall ward environment. Given this, there is a clear concern that the needs of a young person may not be met in comparable way when admitted to an adult mental health ward as opposed to a specialist child and adolescent unit.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition commented: “We are clearly concerned about the increasing number of those being admitted to adult mental health wards, often inappropriate to their needs, both in terms of staff training and the ward environment.

“The Scottish Government needs to up its game on this and provide adequate facilities, ensuring that there are sufficient specialist bed numbers for those requiring them. There is also currently no provision north of Dundee and this requires to be urgently addressed.

“For children and young people who require inpatient mental health care, a lack of such services means that they frequently remain at home, often until the family reaches crisis point, leaving them feeling isolated and delaying recovery.

“These are among the most vulnerable members of our society and we owe it to them to give them the adequate care and support that they need.”

£100k Refurbishment for Edinburgh CAMHS Space

An Edinburgh service which supports children and young people impacted by mental health difficulties has been transformed thanks to funding from a local children’s charity.  

Following an £100,000 refurbishment by Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) space at the Lauriston Building has been remodelled into a more child-friendly, welcoming environment for visitors.   

The South Edinburgh CAMHS team sees approximately 1200 young patients every year experiencing a range of modern to severe mental health difficulties, so it is vital that the space feels safe, calming and welcoming.  

Children and young people were actively involved in the design and made the decision to have a seaside theme. Colourful pieces of artwork are displayed in the waiting area, corridors and clinic rooms and specialist lighting has been cleverly used to brighten internal treatment rooms. Bespoke, comfortable pieces of furniture feature throughout to ensure visitors are as at ease as possible.  

Tommy Blue, Advanced Practitioner for South Edinburgh CAMHS, said: “Children, young people and their families come to CAMHS at a difficult time in their lives, so it is essential that we provide an environment that is fit for purpose and worthy of those who are referred to us. 

“Thanks to this funding from ECHC, what was previously an unused area has been enhanced to provide our visitors with a much more positive experience. It feels safe, accepting and comfortable and has been universally well received by visitors as well as staff.”  

Roslyn Neely, CEO of ECHC, said: “Waiting for an appointment can be a very stressful time for children, young people and their families so it was important to ensure that, from the moment they arrive at CAMHS, they know they are in a safe place where they will be supported and valued.  

“To enhance the space, we worked closely with children and young people and asked them what good mental health looks and feels like. The unanimous answer was the seaside.  

“With this theme in mind, the space was designed to be bright and colourful, but also calming – transforming it from bare and clinical to warm, welcoming and child and young person friendly.”   

Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity believes that nothing should get in the way of being a child and works to make sure children and young people’s lives are less interrupted by illness. It distributes around £1.5 million per year to support the Royal Hospital for Sick Children and other children’s healthcare settings across Scotland.  

For more information or to donate, visit www.echcharity.org  

Briggs welcomes £3 million investment into CAHMS staff recruitment

Scottish Conserative health spokesman Miles Briggs MSP has welcomed the news that NHS Lothian are investing £3million into the recruitment of Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services staff. Continue reading Briggs welcomes £3 million investment into CAHMS staff recruitment

Scottish Children’s Services Coalition: “We are failing thousands of children and young people with mental health problems”

Latest waiting time figures highlight need for fundamental shift in focus for child mental health services 

  • The NHS in Scotland failed to meet a maximum 18-week waiting time target for children and young people to receive treatment from mental health services
  • More than a quarter are waiting more than 18-weeks for treatment
  • Ten out of 14 health boards failed to meet the 18-week waiting time target:
    • NHS Fife, NHS Grampian, NHS Highland, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Lothian, NHS Tayside, NHS Borders, NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Orkney and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley
  • 118 children and young people waited more than a year prior to being seen
  • Figures show only 0.53 per cent of NHS expenditure is spent on CAMHS, less than 7 per cent of the mental health budget
  • Coalition calls for fundamental rethink and renewed focus on prevention and early intervention, including embedding mental health within education

 

Latest waiting time figures have reinforced the call by a coalition of leading independent and third sector children and young people’s service providers for increased investment in mental health services with a much greater focus on prevention and early intervention. 

The call from the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC) (see Notes to Editors for members), which campaigns to improve services for vulnerable children and young people, comes as the latest waiting time figures from the Information Services Division, part of NHS National Services Scotland, highlight that thousands of children and young people are failing to be treated within Scottish Government waiting time target. 

With an increasing number of children and young people being identified with mental health problems they also highlight a postcode lottery for mental health treatment across the country.

Covering the quarter January to March 2019, the figures highlight that 4,237 children and young people started treatment at specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in this period.

The NHS in Scotland, including ten of the 14 regional health boards, failed to meet the Scottish Government 18-week waiting time target for children and young people to receive treatment from CAMHS. This target should be delivered for at least 90 per cent of patients.

While 73.6 per cent in the NHS in Scotland are being seen within this 18-week waiting time, still in itself far too long, more than a quarter (26.4 per cent) are failing to be seen within this period.

Individual health boards failing to meet this target are: NHS Borders (target achieved for 40.0 per cent), NHS Fife (72.8 per cent), NHS Ayrshire & Arran (81.6 per cent), NHS Grampian (43.3 per cent), NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (80.6 per cent), NHS Highland (81.4 per cent), NHS Lanarkshire (76.6 per cent), NHS Lothian (69.1 per cent) and NHS Tayside (57.9 per cent)

The figures also indicate that 118 children and young people in the quarter had been waiting for more than a year prior to being seen for treatment, an increase from 108 in the previous quarter (October to December).  

It should be noted that a mere 0.53 per cent of the NHS budget is spent on specialist CAMHS, amounting to £61.074 million.  In addition to this, only 6.34 per cent of the overall mental health budget is spent on CAMHS.

These very low figures are despite the fact that mental health services are creaking at the seams due to greatly increasing demand, as evidenced by these waiting time figures. Research indicates that 10 per cent of children and young people (aged five to 16) has a clinically diagnosable mental health problem (around three in every classroom), with 50 per cent of mental health problems established by the age of 14 and 75 per cent by the age of 24.

While acknowledging the great efforts the Scottish Government is making, such as an additional £250 million of funding announced in the Programme for Government, the SCSC has called for the Scottish Government for greatly increased investment in CAMHS and for a more consistent approach to delivering these services across Scotland.

It has also called for a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention for those with mental health problem, reducing the need for referral to under-pressure specialist CAMHS.

This includes embedding mental health within education from an early age in order to strengthen knowledge and awareness of mental health, as well as reducing the stigma associated with mental health.

Emotion and resilience classes should be provided to all students from primary one to teach students how to work through their emotions in a healthy way and there should be a whole-school approach, with training for all staff involved in education and providing counselling support.

A spokesperson for the SCSC said: “These latest waiting time figures highlight that fact we are continuing to fail thousands of children and young people with mental health problems.

“The great efforts the Scottish Government is making, including an additional £250 million for mental health over the next five years announced in its recent Programme for Government, is to be welcomed, but more clearly needs to be done.

“These newly released figures highligh that the NHS in Scotland, including ten of our health boards, are failing to meet what is already a lengthy waiting time. Yet we know that three children in every classroom has a clinically diagnosable mental health problem.

“There must be a radical transformation of our mental health services, with a focus on preventing such problems arising in the first place and intervening early, especially when we know that half of all mental health problems begin before the age of 14.  This includes embedding mental health within education from an early age as well as providing training for all staff involved in education.

“With mental health and the issues associated with it representing one of the greatest public health challenges of our time, we must ensure that children and young people are able to get the care and support they need, when they need it. This includes investing in greater community support and support at school, reducing the need for referral to specialist CAMHS.”

The ISD figures released yesterday show that for the latest quarter to March 31st 2019, 85 young people in NHS Lothian waited over a year to be seen out of the 118 of young people waiting over a year across all NHS health boards in Scotland.

The number of young people waiting within the 18 week target in NHS Lothian has increased to a record 540, 69.1%, which is still below the national average of 73.6% seen within the 18 week target for the last quarter.

In NHS Lothian more young people are being seen within the 18 week target, however the 85 young people waiting over a year to be seen still makes up 72% of all young people waiting over a year to be seen in Scotland for the same quarter.

The CAMHS Workforce Report states that “NHS Grampian and NHS Lothian’s child & adolescent populations are projected to increase the most by over 6.0% each” (page 8), which means that NHS Lothian CAMHS will need extra funding to meet future demand.

Scotland’s first Youth Commission on Mental Health produced a report last week that said fundamental change was needed to the way young people with mental health issues were supported. Recommendation included that mental health education be embedded within the school curriculum and for education professionals to be trained in mental health support. 

The commission’s also called for waiting times to access child and adolescent mental health services to be reduced to eight weeks.

Scottish Conservative Health Spokesperson, Miles Briggs, said: “This provision of mental health services for young people in Lothian is nowhere near where it needs be.

“Hundreds of young people are waiting over the 18 week target every quarter in NHS Lothian to be seen by a mental health professional.

“There has been a mental health crisis for young people in Lothian for many years now and the complacency of SNP Ministers means that young people are suffering without the access to support that they need.

“The SNP must start taking the necessary actions to improve mental health provision for young people in Lothian immediately.”

Neigh Bother for autistic youngsters

Neigh Bother

Standing out in the mud, exposed to the elements may not sound like fun – but it was for the young people at Neigh Bother! Being around horses, whilst learning practical horse care skills, achieving their skills section of the Duke of Edinburgh Award, and not to mention being able to meet other like minded young people, is enough to make the biting wind and pouring rain worthwhile! 
Continue reading Neigh Bother for autistic youngsters