Tools and resources

Working with young people to plan person-centred care and support for admission to and discharge from inpatient mental health settings

3. Engagement in strategic planning and commissioning

3. Engagement in strategic planning and commissioning

The guideline and legislation

The guideline recommends that mental health services work with primary care, local authorities and other organisations to ensure that people with mental health problems in transition have equal access to services on the basis of need (recommendation 1.1.7). This is supported in Section 25 and 26 of the Children and Families Act 2014 which sets out that:

  • there must be Joint Commissioning Arrangements between the Local Authority (LA) and the relevant Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs)

  • there must also be arrangements with NHS England for disabled children and young people and those with SEN who need specialist services commissioned directly by NHS England at a regional or national level.

Examples

The Patient Experience Network has a range of up-to-date practice examples of engagement with children and young people in health settings. Their latest report, Improving patient experience for children and young people, available as a pdf, includes a consultation model for CAMHS from Leicester City Council.

Forward Thinking Birmingham is a partnership of local health and care providers. The service provides support, care and treatment to any child or young person up to 25 years who is experiencing mental health problems and is registered with a Birmingham GP. There is also a drop-in centre in Birmingham city centre.

The London Borough of Islington is one of the 2016 early adopter sites for the Integrated Personal Commissioning (IPC) programme. This partnership programme between NHS England and the Local Government Association supports the improvement, integration and personalisation of services. Islington's initial children's cohort will be looked after children with mental health problems. The ambition is to extend IPC to children with special educational needs and disability at a later date.

Local learning

The workshop attendees were clear that improving joint working needs to include strategic commitments. The key points are set out below.

Commissioners and senior managers can improve service design by agreeing shared budgets, embedding joint working and building in flexibility on how support is provided. This is particularly important when young people are discharged from inpatient mental health settings, to provide clear and responsive services to provide continuing support. This strategic planning should include use of service data and promoting the involvement of young people and families.

Outcome measures used in strategic planning and commissioning – for example, from the Children and young people's improving access to psychological therapies programme (CYP IAPT) – need to correspond with young people's and families' views on the value and effectiveness of services. Attendees reported that, for example, young people and their families often value being consulted on service evaluation and redesign, and more practically from changes like extended appointments, using social media to keep in touch and specialist services which are delivered from a range of locations.


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