Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Five minute survey

Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) are under pressure. Last month it was reported that 65% of Local Authorities have frozen/cut their budgets between 2013/14 and 2014/15, and that over 1 in 5 Local Authorities have either frozen or cut their CAMHS budgets every year since 2010 (source: YoungMinds).

Despite tightening budgets, the ‘Future in Mind’ report released by the Department of Health earlier this year put greater emphasis on making real changes across the whole system; to build resilience, promote good mental health and intervene early when problems first arise. A whole system approach to transformation will see CAMHS working even more closely with colleagues across the spectrum of children’s services, public health, housing, skills and social care.

However, reduced budgets plus whole system transformation is not easy, which is why IMPOWER are keen to get the views of colleagues on what is happening – and what should be happening – to make this system change a reality.

If you work in this field, we would be immensely grateful if you could spare 5 minutes to fill it in, and pass it on to other relevant colleagues.

Link to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services survey

The final publication will be available for everyone. If you have any thoughts or questions about the survey or this area of work, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me directly at dowen@impower.co.uk.

The work IMPOWER does in children’s services transformation is futile if young people aren’t getting the support they need, which is why really understanding how we can truly transform CAMHS is such an important piece of work.