Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Joint Delivery Board minutes: August 2021

Attendees and apologies

Attendees – Board members:

• Donna Bell (DB), Scottish Government (Co-chair) 
• Jane O’Donnell (JO’D), Cosla (Co-chair)
• Angela Scott, SOLACE
• Alex Pirrie, Integration Joint Board (IJB) Network
• Carrie Lindsay, Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES)
• Morven Graham, Association of Scottish Principal Educational Psychologists (ASPEP)
• Judy Thomson, NHS Education for Scotland (NES)
• Michael Chalmers, Director of Children and Families, Scottish Government
• Beccie White, Scottish Youth Parliament 
• Kirsty Morrison Scottish Youth Parliament (YP support)
• Paul Carberry, Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland (CCPS) Forum representative
• Martin Dorchester, INCLUDEM, Children in Scotland (CiS) Forum Representative 
• Cathy Richards, Mental Health and Social Care Directorate, Scottish Government
• Angela Leitch, NHS Chief Executives 
• Alison Taylor, Deputy Director: Improvement Attainment and Wellbeing, Learning Directorate, Scottish Government
• Hugh Masters, Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme Board
• Laura Meikle, Improvement Attainment and Wellbeing, Learning Directorate, Scottish Government
• Margaret Wilson, National Parent Forum of Scotland (NPFS) 
• Jackie Irvine, Social Work Scotland

Additional attendees:

• Kevin Stewart, Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care
• Jackie Brock, Chief Operations Officer, The Promise
• Elizabeth Archibald, Mental Health and Social Care Directorate, Scottish Government 
• Alison Sutherland, Sponsor, Task and Finish Group 6 

Support:

• Angela Davidson (AD), Mental Health and Social Care Directorate, Scottish Government
• Maggie Fallon (MF), Mental Health and Social Care Directorate, Scottish Government
• Neil Guy (NG),  Mental Health and Social Care Directorate, Scottish Government
• Jean Carwood-Edwards (JCE), Professional Advisor, Scottish Government
• Carolyn Wales (CW), Mental Health and Social Care Directorate, Scottish Government
• Leon Young (LY), Mental Health and Social Care Directorate, Scottish Government
• Hannah Axon, COSLA

Apologies:

• David Leitch, Mental Health and Social Care Directorate, Scottish Government 
• Stephen McLeod, Mental Health and Social Care Directorate, Scottish Government
• Sara Preston, Engagement Officer, Mental Health and Social Care Directorate, Scottish Government
• Erin Campbell, Scottish Youth Parliament
• David Gibson – Sponsor, Task and Finish group 3 

Items and actions

Welcome and Introductions 

DB welcomed members to the third meeting of the Joint Delivery Board and thanked everyone for attending. DB introduced new members including AL, Chief Executive of Public Health Scotland, representing NHS Chief Executives and JC-E who has been appointed as Professional Adviser to lead the work of the Deliverable 7 which will consider what is currently available and what is required in the future to support the mental health and wellbeing of 3-5 year olds.

DB also welcomed Kevin Stewart, Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care and JB from the Promise.

DB provided the following update:

• most sponsors are already members of the board, DB welcomed additional sponsors to the meeting and expressed thanks for taking on this important role
• all Task and Finish groups have now met at least once, many have met 2/3 times
• DB provided an overview of the National Care Service for Scotland consultation that has recently been published and is available on the Scottish Government’s consultation hub. Details of engagement events for the public are also on the hub and there is a mailbox for public enquiries. DB encouraged Board members to respond

Minister for Mental Health Wellbeing and Social Care

The Minister provided an update on his priorities within his new role including improving mental health services, reducing waiting times for treatment, and the recent investment of £120m though the Mental Health Renewal and Recovery Fund.  

The Minister also highlighted the National Care Service for Scotland consultation which launched on the 9 August. Noting it was a once in a lifetime opportunity for people to share their views on the National Care Service and encouraged Board members and their organisations to respond. 

The Minister responded to a number of questions. His key points included:

• ensuring mental health services are back up and running following COVID and helping to reduce waiting times
• ensuring we are tailoring everything that we are doing to improve outcomes for children and young people
• the importance of lived experience in informing mental health services and practice
• the need to learn from effective, local interventions particularly in the third sector over the pandemic
• the need to ensure services are connected and pathways between them are clear for service users

The Minister also reflected that he was keen to know ‘what was happening on the ground’.

 Action:

• a meeting to be set up between young people and possibly wider Scottish Youth Parliament members with the Minister, CW to check and confirm

The Promise update

JB provided background on the work of the Independent Care Review which was established by the First Minister and chaired by Fiona Duncan. The review was not about a review of the system, but focussed on lived experience with a specific focus on children and young people who had come into contact with the care system either directly or indirectly. 

An update was provided on the progress towards the Promise. In particular, progress against 25 actions, across 5 priority areas. These are actions that the Promise have identified as needing to be completed by 2024 in order to meet the Promise’s 2030 target. The actions have been traffic lighted with the majority currently amber. The presentation may be useful in updating local networks.

The Promise Scotland will produce a Change Programme by March 2022 and at regular intervals thereafter. It will confirm progress; reinforce priorities and outline the support offerings of The Promise Scotland. 

Within the Joint Delivery Board, deliverable leads have recently undertaken a workshop on the Promise to consider how the boards deliverables align with the Promise at this early stage. Alignment to the Promise is also a requirement in ongoing reporting.

Action:

• it was agreed that a follow up on the work of The Promise would be helpful, slides used  will also be shared with the board - CW to arrange

Community funding and counsellors in schools update

The first of the six monthly report on community funding and counsellors in schools, delivered in partnership with COSLA, has been received from LA’s. NG provided an update on community services. A full set of reporting data is not yet available. NG provided the following summary:

• all LA’s now have services in place - 186 so far and 31 additional services planned for the future. The services are based on local needs, promote positive wellbeing and help emotional stress for 5 – 24 year olds (26 for care experienced young people)
• services are based on local needs, all are non-clinical and can be broken down into 6 main areas: Triage Services, Music/Art Therapy, Digital text based  interventions, whole family support model, focus on CYP on the CAMHS waiting list providing access and specialist support services (note: certain groups are more at risk including BAME/Young Carers/LGBTI). NG noted that 50% of referrals were received from schools, self-referrals 20%, 2.5% from social services, 7.5% from health professionals, remaining referrals came from parents and police

LM provided an overview of the reports received from LA’s on counsellors in schools. The full data set is currently subject to processing but the following summary was provided:

• 8000 CYP had received a counselling session
• two thirds of these were girls
• S3/S4 most prominent year group to access counselling
• 911 were self-referrals, remaining were referrals from school staff
• following the counselling session(s) – 200 cases were forwarded to CAMHS
• 150 to CP services
• small number directed to other services 
• majority of sessions were delivered in person
• 52 different reasons for referral were listed however the main reasons included: concerns about family, stress, exams, self-identity, family issues and body image

LM also updated the board on the new professional learning resource for school staff, developed by the Mental Health in Schools Working Group. The resource will provide essential learning required to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. Although aimed at school staff, the resource is free and available to anyone who wishes to access it at: CYPMH – Professional Learning Resource.  LM also updated the board on the publication of the Whole School Approach resource which can be found at: Whole School Approach to Mental Health and Wellbeing - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). 

Comments from the board included:

• emphasising the need to ensure the groups are connected and that a whole systems approach to evaluation should be taken
• important links with other key groups such as the Children’s Service strategic group were highlighted as was how family support, relevant to multiple subgroups should be considered
• counselling is not always the best intervention for all children and particular challenges have been identified in providing the right support for children with additional needs through this funding stream. LM informed the board that a Counsellors Network has been established and this group has input from Northern Ireland colleagues who have also recently considered this issue

Actions:

• NG and LM will provide the board with a summary report on community services and counsellors in schools when available
• officials will consider and develop targeted discussions about a whole system approach for the next meeting

Task and Finish groups – reporting templates

Reporting templates for each of the Task and Finish groups were shared with members in advance of the meeting. A brief outline of the workplans were included in the templates. DB informed the board that the work of each of the Task and Finish Groups are at very different stages so some reports may not have the same detail as others. Work plans are being further developed by each of the Task and Finish groups and these will be discussed further at the October meeting. 

Members were directed to the Crisis paper which contained a change to the approach. Comments from the board included:

• sensible approach to remain flexible when looking at what support CYP need
• promotion and visibility of services are crucial. CYP in crisis need to be clear where they can go and who can help
• the current service provision landscape is complex and with new services being launched and expanded more mapping required
• further detail on how the T and F group will work towards these aims will be  included in the work plan when submitted in October

Members agreed with the change in approach suggested in the Crisis paper. 

Additional comments on the deliverables reporting templates included:

Deliverable 2 – Ensure crisis support is available 24/7 to children and young people

comments included - What can the third sector do to support this?  Need to ensure there is cover on the whole system.

Deliverable 5 - Agree and support the implementation of a neurodevelopmental service specification/principles and standards of care.        

• JO’D noted that there had been discussion in the system about a nationwide role out of test for change asked for confirmation that the approach recommended by the board on test for change prior to this was still intended
• comments from the board included: Need to ensure we are linking with the other work streams, how do we link with family support work, need to ensure the board link to emerging pieces of work

No other comments were received on the remaining reporting templates. 

Action:

• discuss family support work more broadly at the next meeting board meeting

Task and Finish group 7 

JC-E provided an overview to the board on the work of 3 – 5 year olds deliverable and the progress made. JC-E referred board members to the reporting template for background and confirmed that the work of the group will align to the work of the Promise, Getting it right for every child and the work of the Perinatal and Infant and Mental Health Programme Board. An addendum to the Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Joint Delivery Board: principles for participation and engagement will be developed and shared with the board. 

AOB and close

DB thanked members and speakers for attending and their valuable contributions. 

DM provided additional updates which included:

• HA and CW have been working closely with the YP members of the Board to produce a video about the purpose of the JDB. MD has offered for Includem to record this video. This will be shared with Board members shortly
• the Comms group have also been drafting a JDB newsletter, this will also be shared
• the next meeting will take place on Monday 11 October. Timings of future meetings will be reviewed to reflect availability of the YP board members