Agenda item

This report provides an overview of the current Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) available in Brent, and the improvements and investments identified in the CAMHS Local Transformation Plan as a response to ‘Future in Mind’.

Dr Sarah Basham, introduced the report and Duncan Ambrose (Assistant Director, Brent CCG) explained how the plan had evolved.  He stated that the plan was to be seen through two different perspectives – the view of the eight boroughs involved and Brent specific.  The plan represented joint working between sixteen different organisations, co-ordinated through the Children’s Trust.  He outlined the eight priorities contained within the plan and flagged the challenges, which included attracting the appropriate staff as all CCGs were implementing similar plans. 

Members asked questions regarding the funding available and Mr Ambrose expressed the hope that the funding identified would be sufficient.  However, he was asked to compare the level of funding with that available to support services for adult mental health and inform members of the committee.  Members also asked for what percentage of the CCG’s budget did the contribution being provided by the CCG amount to.  The request was also made for the financial amount of the services commissioned by the CCG.

In the context of the category of those most at risk of suicide being men under 35 years of age, Mr Ambrose was asked why there was no reference to suicide in the plan.  He explained that deliberate self-harm was referenced with it being closely linked to suicidal tendencies, however it was difficult to identify the numbers involved.  A request was made for figures showing how many children had died from suicide in 2013/14 and 2014/15.

Members questioned how referrals were made.  It was explained that referrals were made by GPs with urgent cases being seen the same day, otherwise there was an eighteen week target to see all referred cases.  However in Brent there was an average wait of 25 weeks with the longest wait being 10 months.  It was agreed that this was not acceptable and members were assured that this was being addressed.

The spike in caseload for boys aged 10 and girls aged 15 was noted as the common theme over a long time.  Referring to the ethnicity graph, it was commented that the caseload was not representative of the local population.  In response Dr Basham stated that further outreach work needed to be developed across a broader area of provision.  Gail Tolley (Director, Children and Families) explained some of the work being carried out with schools to address this.  It was felt that the work with schools would be a useful area for the Scrutiny Committee to look at.  It was pointed out that eating disorders were relatively rare in Brent but self harm was on the increase.  It was asked how self harm was defined.  It was recognised that it was too narrow for it to just refer to cutting and that eating disorders could be put under the description of self harm.

It was commented that it was good to see more openness on the development of child and adolescent mental health services and that it would be good to see implementation of the transformation plan over the next few years.  Dr Basham added that the support of the Council was welcomed.

Requests for information

·         Level of funding compared to that supporting adult mental health

·         Percentage of CCG budget allocated to CAMHS

·         The financial amount of services commissioned by the CCG

·         How many children had died from suicide in 2013/14 and 2014/15

RESOLVED:

(i)         that the report and attached CAMHS Local Transformation Plan be             noted;

(ii)        that the comments of the committee be taken into account in taking forward the CAMHS Local Transformation Plan in Brent in 2016/17.

[During discussion of the above item, Councillor Miller took no part in the discussion and left the meeting room.]