Exemplars in Children and Young People's Mental Health Workforce Wellbeing

1. Peter Buttle B.A. Hons. B.Eng Hons. MIETRetired Telecommunications Engineering Consultant Healthwatch Wiltshire Volunteer. And KOOK KOOK Definition - a slightly strange, mad, or eccentric person

2. So, why have told you this? • I’ve been in the Mental Health system since my teens. • The cost to the NHS is not calculable. • The cost to me has been massive in terms of: • Poor Achievement • Mental and physical Trauma • Missed opportunities. • I can identify with almost all of the problems that C&YP told HWW they experienced, particularly: • Anxiety • Depression • Bullying.

3. Generally, the feedback to HWW is that the access to CAMHS is poor across Wiltshire but once you get access to the system it is good.

4. HWW Young listeners Project.

5. What did we do? • We trained Young Listeners in community organising skills, listening skills and safeguarding. • We worked with the Young Listeners to develop questions that they would ask children and young people at youth clubs and in their school environment. • They produced and starred in videos which illustrated what they had heard. • We published two reports highlighting the findings.

6. Why did we do it? • Understanding children and young people’s experiences of using health and social care is one of Healthwatch Wiltshire’s priorities. • We wanted to use an approach that gave children and young people the opportunity to talk to and share their experience with other young people, a ‘peer to peer’ approach.

7. What did people say Children and young people want to be seen as individuals, treated with respect and not judged. • Many young people felt that the waiting time after being referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) was too long. • Young people felt that they weren’t always listened to. • Some young people did not know where to go for advice on either physical health or mental health in schools. • Young people said that they wanted support for mental health in school to be more accessible • Young people wanted more opportunities to talk about mental health and wellbeing in school.

8. What happened next? • The Young Listeners presented the reports and their findings to the Health and Wellbeing board. • The findings from our report influenced the Child and Adolescent mental health transformation plan. • We created YouthWatch Wiltshire, a children and young persons volunteering arm of Healthwatch Wiltshire, to ensure that the views of children and young people are heard. • The Young Listeners had opportunities to get involved in other external opportunities to promote the voice of children and young people such as the design of the ‘onyourmind’ signposting website and attendance at Youth Safeguarding Board meetings.

9. http://www.onyourmind.org.uk/ http://www.harmless.org.uk/

10. The question for deliberation is: . How do we become exemplars in looking after the Wellbeing and Mental Health of our Children and Young People’s Mental Health Workforce in the South West? What is the support offer to the workforce and what practical steps can be recommended to implement this in the South West? The feedback from young people to HWW suggests that most young people below the threshold for social intervention need help. If the help can be focussed at this point, maybe some of the challenges for staff will reduce. So, to recap:

11. Children and young people want to be seen as individuals, treated with respect and not judged. • • Many young people felt that the waiting time after being referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) was too long. • • Young people felt that they weren’t always listened to. • • Some young people did not know where to go for advice on either physical health or mental health in schools. • • Young people said that they wanted support for mental health in school to be more accessible • • Young people wanted more opportunities to talk about mental health and wellbeing in school. • Above all, KISS (Keep it simple, stupid) the solution.