Agenda item

To receive a report from Sarah Connery, Chief Executive, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT), which provides the Committee with an update on Children’s and Young People’s Mental Health Services in Lincolnshire.  Senior representatives from LPFT, will be in attendance for this item)

The Committee considered a report from Sarah Connery, Chief Executive, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT), which provided an update on Children’s and Young People’s Mental Health Services in Lincolnshire.

The Chairman invited the following LPFT representatives to present the item (remotely), to the Committee: Chris Higgins, Director of Operations and Eve Baird, Associate Director of Operations for Specialist Services.

The report provided details of the services delivered by LPFT; how children and young people accessed services; the demands for services and the waiting times for emotional wellbeing and mental health services for children and young people; crisis and urgent care support provided; transitions for children and young people; the transformation programme; and inpatient services available for children and young people.

Appendix A to the report provided details of the Children and Young People Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Services available in the Specialist Services Division

During discussion, the following comments were noted:

·       The Committee was advised that through collaborative working across LPFT, NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board, and Lincolnshire County Council, an additional recurrent investment of £1.2 million had been made into core Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).  It was noted that the number of children and young people accessing mental health and emotional wellbeing services had increased, which had led to challenges accessing services and secondary waits for treatment.  It was noted further that the range of mental health and emotional wellbeing services available to children and young people had increased significantly in the last six years;

·       That the Transformation Programme, jointly led by Lincolnshire County Council and LPFT, with input from children and young people and parents/carers was helping to shape the strategic direction of travel for children and young people mental health services.  Some members of the Committee welcomed the inclusion of early intervention;

·       The Committee was advised that eating disorders had increased by 200% and that additional investment had created additional capacity to provide a robust service for children and young people;

·       Confirmation was given that there had not been a significant increase in the number dual diagnosis cases;

·       The Committee was advised that there were digital options for self-referral and for support for children and young people and their families.  It was highlighted that face-to-face contact was also offered.  It was noted that an App was being developed which would allow all partners to be aware of health and wellbeing services available across Lincolnshire.  It was also highlighted that from an LPFT webpage there was links to self-help on-line resources;

·       The Committee was advised that prevention was key to helping find out reasons for increasing numbers of young people accessing mental health and wellbeing services and that having early intervention would help with this;

·       That from February 2023, a CAMHS mental health liaison offer was being piloted at Lincoln County Hospital, which had provided a CAMHS practitioner  on-site at the hospital out of hours, and that this service would be extended to Pilgrim Hospital, Boston;

·       It was reported that the Trust was not immune to work force pressures, it still had some vacancies to fill, but with investment into the service during the last year, the Trust was beginning to see the benefit of its targeted recruitment campaign, in-house development of staff, and staff retention;

·       That funding from NHS England for all services had enabled the appointment of specific key workers for those with Autism and it was emphasized that this was part of an NHS England scheme.  Named professionals were also provided as a point of liaison for other children and young people services and a request was made as to how may key workers were available for children and young people and families and the level of support they received;

·       The Committee noted that the Trust had a full complement of staff for family liaison.  A request was made for the number of key workers available for families;

·       The Committee noted that the Here4You service was available for children and young people 24/7, and that during the day the service was staffed by a dedicated access team.  It was noted that after 9.00pm, the number of calls to the helpline reduced and during this period a Tier 2 offer was provided.  The Committee was advised that there had been no complaints regarding the service, or its availability.  Presenters agreed to provide further information regarding the number of calls received via the Here4You service;

·       It was reported that key workers as referenced in the report were specific to children and young people with Autism.  It was highlighted that every young person entering the system had a named professional assigned to them.  For CAHMS, this would be a designated family liaison worker, who would be the professional link into the mental health team and be available at any time for the family.  It was highlighted further that the level of support provided to families varied as it was dependent on the level of need the young person and family required;

·       That inpatient beds for children and young people with specialist needs were sought from local provider collaboratives and that a young person with specialist needs requiring an inpatient bed would be provided by East Midlands Partnership and that an inpatient bed could be provided in Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, or Derbyshire.  It was noted that the out of county beds were subject to the same level of scrutiny as NHS beds and that financial and emotional support was provided to families during the duration of the young person’s stay in the inpatient bed;

·       Reassurance was provided that work was ongoing to ensure that professional support was provided to schools and the wider community;

·       That it was hoped that the additional mental health urgent assessment centre at Pilgrim Hospital, Boston was likely to open in 2025;

·       The Committee noted that it was the Trust’s collective ambition to achieve the national Long Term Plan target of no children or young people waiting more than four weeks from treatment.  It was noted that a clear performance improvement trajectory had been agreed, and that the service was on track to achieve this target by March 2025; and

·       The Committee noted that there had been over 300 children and young people waiting for treatment, and that most children and young people had been waiting over 12 weeks for treatment for over one year. The Committee was advised that now 160 children and young people were having to wait more than 12 weeks.  It was highlighted that an improvement trajectory plan was in place to resolve the situation by March 2024.

RESOLVED

1.      That the Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust be thanked for their report and presentation on Children and Yong People Mental Health Services, in particular the level of detail in the report.

2.      That the Committee be advised of any future development in these services.

(Note: Councillor S R Parkin left the meeting at 12.29pm).