Agenda item

This report sets out the recommendations arising from the Scrutiny Review into Community Mental Health & Care of Young People. A copy of the full final report is at Appendix 1 and Councillor Funnell, the Chair of the Task Group which undertook the work around this topic, will be in attendance at the meeting to present the report.

Resolved:           That Cabinet approve the recommendations arising from the Community Mental Health and Care of Young People scrutiny review, as set out in paragraph 5 of the report.

Reason:              To conclude their work on this review in line with Scrutiny procedures and protocols.

Consideration was given to the final report of the Community Mental Health and Care of Young People Scrutiny Review which had been set up with the aim of raising awareness of emotional and mental health issues for young people and the services and interventions available. The review had also endeavoured  to ensure that the wider children’s workforce were well informed and equipped to identify and respond to children and young people with emotional problems and/or emerging mental health issues.

Councillor Funnell, as Chair of the Task Group, presented the report, highlighting the involvement of and input from the Youth Council throughout the review. Reference was made to the information gathered and work undertaken during the review and particularly to the excellent engagement from all concerned.

Ethan Redmond, a representative of the Youth Council (YC), referred to information gathered during a review of the Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE) curriculum in York’s secondary schools by the YC in 2011/12. He thanked the Task Group for presenting the YC’s views and asked Cabinet to support the recommendations rolling them out to all schools.

The Cabinet Member for Cabinet Member for Education, Children and Young People's Services welcomed the report. She highlighted the importance of providing strategies for young people to cope with stress and for secondary schools to embrace the recommendations. She also expressed her thanks to the Youth Council and Task Group for their work on the review.

Cabinet Members questioned details of the report and the issues raised and following discussion, and having considered the final report at Appendix 1, Cabinet considered whether to amend and/or approve or reject the following recommendations arising from the review:

(i)        That secondary schools in the area be requested and strongly encouraged to introduce the Mental Health School Charter, setting out what strategies, resources and support systems were in place to help pupils, carers and support staff identify and cope with emerging emotional or mental health issues;

(ii)      Whilst fully endorsing the YorOK Child & Adolescent Mental Health Draft Strategy 2013-16 and its vision and aims,  the Assistant Director for Children’s Specialist Services provide a final draft of the Strategy Action Plan to the Board in Autumn 2013, taking account of the overall recommendations and findings from this review and drawing out the issues surrounding stigmatisation and equalities, as well as signposting where there is evidence of serious mental health problems;

(iii)     That all providers of the Emotional Literacy Support Assistants Programme (ELSA) be actively encouraged to support the Conference being organised in the Spring Term for 2014, in line with the Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TaMHS) Project, to promote and deliver a preventative strategy for addressing mental health needs in schools; and

(iv)    That:

(a)     The potential benefits in the widespread adoption of the Mental Health Toolkit throughout York secondary schools be openly recognised and supported, to help schools respond to children and young people’s emotional and mental health needs.

(b)     Whilst acknowledging the financial costs involved for schools in reproducing the Toolkit, all secondary schools in York be actively encouraged to adopt it and officers explore ways to support those schools in doing this. ^1.

Resolved:           That Cabinet approve the recommendations arising from the Community Mental Health and Care of Young People scrutiny review, as set out above and in paragraph 5 of the report.

Reason:              To conclude their work on this review in line with Scrutiny procedures and protocols.