New mental health care model being developed for young Calderdale people

The Open Minds Partnerships – formerly Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS) – has been working for two years to improve care offered to children and young people while reducing waiting times for assessments which at one point had built up to several years.

Earlier this year Calderdale Council’s Children and Young People’s Services Scrutiny Board heard these were being reduced to around a year with aim of improving further.

The pandemic has raised challenges, but in a six-monthly report on progress councillors heard a new model of care, building upon the Anna Freud Centre’s “Thrive” model was being developed to replace the former “Tiered” approach.

The main difference is that the Thrive model recognises a significant number of children needing help might only require it for a certain amount of time without having to go down a highly prescriptive path.

With early intervention a key part of getting the appropriate help to a young person sooner, more serious issues down the line can be prevented.

Rhona Radley, Senior Service Improvement Manager for Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said of the new Thrive model: “It promotes a whole system approach and working, and it includes an extended offer, faster response times, early intervention and extends a wider range of interventions.”

And Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield CAMHS manager Linda Moon said it was meeting needs batter.

“We want young people to get help in their normal situations, and not as referrals to a specialised service.”

People were made fully aware of the changes and a business delivery plan had been developed quickly.

Feedback was good and young people also helped shape the service.

Some good news also arrived following a successful bid – worth £770,000 and described as one of the best received in the round – for Government funding which will give schools dedicated mental health support teams to help students.

Coun Adam Wilkinson (Lab, Sowerby Bridge), who has the Cabinet portfolio for young people, said he believed this was just for two years but Ms Radley said the necessary support to continue it beyond that had been agreed by the CCG.

Coun Sarah Courtney (Lab, Calder) asked about how the new structure affected transitioning to adult mental health services while Coun Amanda Parsons-Hulse asked what kind of interventions were being put in place for more traumatised children who would eventually go through the services, in particular non-verbal interventions.

Councillors heard transition would be smoother and non-verbal support was available.

Board member Shelagh Hirst said reports waiting times were getting down from six months to four weeks were “absolutely fantastic.”

Coun Howard Blagbrough (Con, Brighouse) wanted to know how young people transferring from other areas would transition to the service and Board Chair Coun Colin Raistrick (Ind, Hipperholme and Lightcliffe) wanted to see more data made available to improvements could be more accurately measured.