Submission to the Health Select Committee on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Northamptonshire
The re-design of services include child and adolescent mental health and emotional well-being services, as well as services for children with complex care needs and services for children with special education needs and disability.
Healthwatch Northamptonshire wanted to ensure that the views of children, young people and families were gathered and heard through the re-design exercise and that these views positively influence any changes to current services.
We have gathered views and experiences through a survey; discussion groups; attending meetings and talking individually to children, young people and families as well as health and social care professionals. We have done this to add to the engagement activity also being undertaken by the clinical commissioning groups.
What we heard during our engagement campaign:
- Access is a problem: We heard very widespread concern about the limited availability of Child and Adolescent Mental Health service in Northamptonshire.
- Problems with access to counselling services and early intervention/preventative services.
- Access to other services, including CAMHS: Many children and young people told us that they don’t get the right support at the right time – not just CAMHS, but other services.
- The role of schools: There is concern about the quality of health and wellbeing within schools.
