Agenda item

Naveen Judah, Healthwatch Rotherham, to present

(10.00 a.m.)

Naveen Judah, Chair of Healthwatch Rotherham, presented the report produced in partnership with a group of local parents into the work of the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services

Nationally, health and social care provision was being evaluated in light of the Francis report as well as a national review of CAMHS as part of the Children’s Plan.

In Rotherham stakeholders had come together to produce and deliver the Rotherham Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Strategy for children and young people.  The Strategy would inform service planning and commissioning for the next 5 years.  The aims of the investigation were to:-

-          Seek views on how local people believed the culture of CAMHS was affecting Service delivery

-          Obtain views and ideas as to how things could be done better

-          To share the views of local people with the provider and commissioners of CAMHS

-          Ensure local people in Rotherham knew about the activity

To enable Healthwatch to achieve the above, 3 methodologies were used:-

-          A purpose designed survey

-          A public 2 day event gathering views on themed topics

-          A review of the Healthwatch Rotherham Database

From all the statements made it could be concluded:-

-          that there was a high level of dissatisfaction with the Service provided

-          parents/carers did not feel listened to

-          felt blamed for the problems they and their child were experiencing

-          did not feel included or able to participate

-          no clarity on what to expect from CAMHS and what services they provided

-          difficult to make a complaint

-          complaints were not handled consistently or in a timely manner

-          waiting times to be seen were too long leaving families feeling unsupported

-          when children were discharged from the service it did not always include families and they were unaware they had been discharged

-          no crisis planning leaving families feeling unsupported and not sure what to do

When the concerns had first been raised, Healthwatch had looked at the work being done so as to avoid any duplication and to tackle the area of how Services users were feeling/being treat as opposed to diagnosis and pathways.

It was very important that CAMHS communicate and set out the correct expectations from the community.  Services users often thought that CAMHS would be there throughout the process when in actual fact they may only be involved at the referral stage and then someone else took over resulting in CAMHS being wrongfully blamed for everything that subsequently went wrong.

Sharon Schofield, CAMHS, apologised that the carers and children had not received the service they felt they should have received from the Service.   It was a small number given the numbers that used the Service nevertheless it was important that the best possible care was given to everybody.

A lot of work had taken place, supported by CCG commissioners, to improve both the processes in terms of looking at how appointments were made in a timely way and working within the issues of capacity and demands.  In some cases the professionals that would have been there to support CAMHS in the past unfortunately, due to budget cuts etc., were no longer there. Sharon had also stated the Service’s intention to meet with all the parents who were unhappy on an individual basis to understand what their issues were in an attempt to resolve them.

Julie Kitlowski reported that the GPs had been extremely concerned and had carried out a lot of work together with RDaSH.  A survey monkey had been sent to GPs to ascertain what their concerns were.   CAMHS had developed an action log which they monitored which would hopefully include additional input in terms of the consultants they had and also to reduce the confusion as to who prioritised what as some of the Services expected of them were not actually delivered by them.  A second survey of GPs had reported significant improvement.  The situation would be monitored but satisfied they had a robust action log which would significantly improve the Service.

Chrissy Wright stated that RDaSH had been served with a Default Notice with regard to issues relating to the CAMHS Service.  There had been a review by Attain commissioned by the CCG which had been helpful and the agreed Strategy was to be considered by the Health Select Commission on 11^th July.  There was now a partnership agreement with the CCG on behalf of the Council on how to work in localities.

Healthwatch Rotherham had agreed to revisit CAMHS in a year’s time.

Resolved:-  That the report be noted.