Exploring access to children and young people’s mental health support in Somerset
This report was developed by a multi-agency group including NHS Somerset Foundation Trust, Healthwatch Somerset, Somerset Council, Somerset Parent Carer Forum, NHS Somerset and Spark Somerset. The work was commissioned by NHS Somerset following the decommissioning of Somerset Big Tent, and aimed to understand how people now access mental health support.
The findings reinforce what young people, parents and professionals have been telling us over the last 2 years.
The key findings were
- Children and young people predominantly depend on their peers and parents for information and support
- Children, young people, parents, carers, and the people supporting them all express a strong desire for a greater emphasis on early intervention
- The pathways to support are often unclear, leaving individuals uncertain about their eligibility for services and the appropriate timing for access
- There is a need to address the gap between Young Somerset and CAMHS services to ensure cohesive support
The recommendations were
To development of a central, reliable and regularly updated hub for mental health information. It also highlighted the need for:
- Resources such as cards which are small, helpful, and easy to read
- Clear pathways that are published in one place
- Clarity about who can access services and when this should happen
- Focus on early intervention
- Work to address the gap between Young Somerset and CAMHS services
The report can be read and downloaded below.