Agenda item

Rotherham Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) - Review of Children and Young People's Voice and Influence

Nigel Parkes to present (briefing paper to follow)

Minutes:

Nigel Parkes, Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group, presented a briefing note on the independent review of the nature and extent of children and young people’s voice and influence in Rotherham CAMHS.

 

The independent review had been commissioned by the Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group, using non-recurrent funding for CAMHS transformation, with the aim of:-

 

·         Strengthening children and young people’s voice and influence

·         Increase the responsiveness of services

·         Improve mental health outcomes

 

The first stage of the review had scoped what children and young people had said about their experiences of Mental Health Services, of being listened to and about their participation priorities.  The second stage had drawn on the findings to frame guided conversations with 4 focus groups and some individual interviews with children and young people all of whom had personal experience of Mental Health Services.  Members of the Parents and Carers Forum had participated jointly with the children and young people in 1 focus group.

 

The review had considered 9 participation priorities covering experience, personal care and public involvement:-

 

·         Feeling good – personal experience of being listened to and involved in decisions about own care

1.  Assessment

2.  Routine outcome monitoring

3.  Complaints procedure and advocacy

·         Doing the job right – being able to take part in helping develop the Service (contributing to management)

4.  Staff training

5.  Supervision and appraisal

6.  Recruitment and selection

·         Running the Service well - having a voice and influence with the leadership of the organisation

7.  Involvement in commissioning

8.  Influencing senior managers

9.  Mission statement

 

Both positives and concerns had been raised in the focus groups with most participants not having been involved in helping to develop the Service or influence the leadership of the organisation.

 

The review had made 1 overall recommendation: to embed the use of the mapping and planning tool of participation priorities in order to integrated participation more systematically as part of wider organisational and cultural change.

 

RDaSH had been tasked by the CCG with taking the recommendations forward by undertaking a baseline study to assess the work they did with different groups, such as the Youth Cabinet and the Young Ambassadors.

This linked with the review of the Public and Patient Engagement Strategy by RDaSH.

 

The report author had visited RDaSH to talk with staff about the findings in the report and also about the tacit information from young people, with discussion focused on what could be done. RDaSH had found the report very insightful and the fact that it was independent gave it extra weight.  It generated a lot of reflection on what it was like for people using RDaSH services.

 

Actions being taken forward included:

·         Monthly training in place that included record keeping and safeguarding but also used “in their shoes type training” i.e. What is it like for a family coming into our services? What is our welcome like?

·         Youth tube

·         Work at Rotherham Show

·         Improved supervision and percentage of staff having had an appraisal now nearly 90%

·         Recruitment and selection

 

The following issues were raised:-

Where were RDaSH in terms of completing the template and how was this now being taken forward? - RDaSH were undertaking their self-assessment and would welcome some challenge with that, so they suggested taking it to the Youth Cabinet meeting on 17th November to see how robust the self-assessment was from a young person’s perspective.

 

The Chair requested that the template be shared with the Commission so that Members could see how this would be taken forward and to gauge its success.

 

Resolved:-

 

(1)  It was noted how the recommendations from the Voice and Influence review would be taken forward and in particular how this would support the recommendations from the Children’s Commissioner Takeover Challenge review.

 

(2)  That the completed self-assessment template be shared with the Commission.

 

Supporting documents: