Agenda item

The Panel received a report and accompanying presentation on work that is being done to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in Haringey, in the context of the post-pandemic period. The report was included in the agenda pack at page 9. The presentation slides were tabled at the meeting and are published in the tabled papers agenda pack at page 1. The report and presentation was introduced by Tim Miller, North Central London Integrated Care Board. Also present for this agenda item were Clive Blackwood, from Barnet, Enfield & Haringey Mental Health Trust; and Karel Stevens-Lee, North Central London Integrated Care Board. The following arose during the discussion of this agenda item:

a.    The Chair emphasised the impact that undiagnosed autism could have on people as they grew into adulthood and highlighted the importance of autism assessments within an early years setting. In response, health colleagues advised that there were 0-5 autism diagnostic services in place, and that there was a lot of autism support in schools and early years settings.

b.    The Chair queried whether there had been new services commissioned in the sector since Covid. In response, officers advised that all the services referred to in the presentation were new and that there had been significant growth in crisis and community mental health services. The Panel was advised that the mental health standard mandated that Integrated Care Boards had to invest more in mental health services than in other services. It was cautioned that it could take some time for the investment to feed through and to overcome the long-term structural underinvestment in these services.

c.    The Panel queried the information in the slides that 0.2% of cases in Haringey were eating disorders, suggesting that seemed very low. In response, health colleagues advised that they were cognisant that this seemed quite low and that there had been growth in service provision in this area. Health colleagues were also looking at how well they were informing families about the services and support on offer. It was also noted that the figures represent cases where an eating disorder had been diagnosed, and that there were probably a lot of young people who went undiagnosed. There were also young people with problems around eating that fell below the threshold of an eating disorder.

d.    In terms of numbers and provision for young people with eating disorders, the Panel was advised that there were a number of different providers.  There were 50 children from the specialist community outpatient facility at the Royal Free and these cases represented quite a high threshold in terms of the severity of their illness. There was also investment being put in place around early intervention services, including a specialist provision for NCL at the Tavistock.

e.    A Panel member advised that in the past the Tavistock offered a range of services for children and their families with ASD, including youth clubs, therapeutic sessions, and sibling sessions. The Panel queried whether this broad range of services was still available. In response, health colleagues advised that they were still available but that they may be available through different providers.

f.     The Panel sought assurances that when young people went for help because they were in crisis, that there would be someone there who was mindful and compassionate of SEND specific needs. Health colleagues advised that there was specialists in place to support both SEND and neurodiversity and that acute training was undertaken with a range of providers. Health colleagues emphasised the importance of a services user’s experience the first time they present when in crisis.  

g.    The Chair sought clarification about the 53.3% of the caseload marked as ‘other’. The Panel was advised that this was the initial referral information from the partnership and that one reason they were listed as ‘other’ maybe because the illness was not yet diagnosed. It was noted that it was important to view the breakdown in conjunction with wider social conditions set out in the Open Door column. The diagnostic information could be quite transitional and people’s conditions could change and/or they could improve.

RESOLVED

Noted