Issue - meetings

To consider PowerPoint presentation.

The focus of the item is on the Somerset system wide support for children and young people who self-injure and follows on from the item considered by the Committee at the meeting in July 2023.  The item will be led by the Council’s Strategic Manager, Public Health, Patsy Temple, together with colleagues from CAMHS, ICB, Nik Harwood (Young Somerset) and front line practitioner representation from jigsaw project (Targeted Youth Support) and hospital psychiatric liaison team.

Notes:

Members of the Scrutiny Committee – Adults and Health are welcome to attend the meeting for this agenda item.

The Chair will allow 45 minutes for this agenda item.

The Committee received a presentation on children’s mental health and wellbeing in Somerset, the focus of the item was on the Somerset system wide support for children and young people who self-injure.

The Chair thanked the presenters for the excellent presentation.

(Members of Scrutiny Committee – Adults & Health had been invited to join the meeting for this agenda item).

The Chair welcomed the follow to the meeting for this agenda item:

·         Patsy Temple, Public Health Consultant at Somerset Council

·         Claudine Brown, Head of CAHMS and Paediatric Services in Somerset

·         Nick Harwood, Chief Executive of Young Somerset

·         Tracey Robinson, Team Leader at The Jigsaw Project Young Somerset

The Committee received a detailed presentation which provided an update on Somerset system-wide support for children and young people who self-injure. This followed on from the presentation to the meeting in June 2023 and demonstrates how a multi-agency system approach will deliver the best outcomes for children and young people in Somerset. The presentation provided information and data around hospital admissions, the number of mental assessments being carried out among children and young people in Somerset, results from surveys and engagement projects, details around the services that are being provided by all the agencies involved, and the Public Health training offer.

The Committee were advised that, reassuringly, in terms of young people requiring mental health/emotional wellbeing intervention in Somerset, there has been a downturn in the numbers.

The presentation also included a list of recent improvements in Childrens Mental Health Services in Somerset, with a special focus on a targeted youth support project for children and young people that have been admitted to hospital due to mental health difficulties or low emotional wellbeing named The Jigsaw Project. Members heard about a day in the life of a Jigsaw Support worker and the story of Poppy and her family who needed support from the Jigsaw Project following a hospital admission.

The Committee asked a number of questions and made a number of comments which were responded to at the meeting, as follows:      

·         A Cllr asked the committee and officers to consider what ‘timely’ means.

·         A Cllr commended the work of officers and remarked that it was the best presentation he has seen.

·         A Cllr felt the presentation was about reactive support and asked for more information about the way this Council proactively supports children and families in the community i.e. through outreach in schools.

The Chair thanked officers for the presentation and the Committee noted the update.