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Children and Young People's Mental Health: Providing Effective Support

  • Tuesday, 03 July 2018
  • The Royal National Hotel, London
  • 08:30 - 17:00
130
Conference
Attendees
8
CPD
Credits
10
Expert Speakers
20
Sponsors & Supporters
  • Overview

The NSPCC recently found that in the last two years over 100,000 children referred to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) were rejected for treatment. That's 150 children a day. Mental health issues are hitting the headlines more frequently than ever before, with children and young people being particularly vulnerable. Half of all mental health problems have been established by the age of 14, rising to 75% by age 24. While the national government has started implementing its Five-Year Forward View for Mental Health using £1.4 billion, with particular priority for children and young people, reports are not yet showing positive results.

Although the latest government budget of November 2017 promised £2.8bn of extra funding for the NHS, it did not give any particular mention of mental health services. However, a long-anticipated green paper was published in December 2017 on transforming mental health services for children and young people. There were several proposals in the green paper. This includes designating a senior mental health lead in schools, setting up a four-week waiting time for NHS CAMHS services, new mental health support teams in schools and all compulsory mental health awareness training. Currently, the average waiting time for children and adolescents is 11 weeks, but it can be up to 18 months, as reported by the Care Quality Commission.

As the policy and media response to this issue continuously grows, Open Forum Events invites you to Children and Young People's Mental Health: Providing Effective Support to analyse, discuss and learn about the latest developments and move the conversation forward.

Mental health in general is being discussed more amongst policymakers, public figures and celebrities alike. This is helping to raise awareness and reduce stigma, but it is too early to say if it is translating into effective action. There are numerous charities and organisations dedicated to improving mental health conditions but most of these do not have the funds that allow for the kind of significant change that the government could enable. These organisations provide research and policy recommendations to authorities to guide the government towards the best course of action.

The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) published a report which included the perspectives of 80 children in care and over 100 people in roles which entail safeguarding children like social workers, nurses, foster carers and both birth and adoptive parents. The report, led by the SCIE's Expert Working Group as created by Department for Education, found that services needed to be much more accessible, flexible and child-centered. It also stated that "mental health is a continuum and cannot be seen as a one-off diagnosis," which highlights the need for ongoing and regular treatment. The need for children and adolescents' perspective to be heard is further being recognized by the Scottish government putting £95,000 into a new youth commission to lead an in-depth study into children and young people's mental health. 

There is also pressure on schools to take a more active role in mental health care for children and young people. The Department of Health published a 'Supporting mental health in schools and colleges' report in August 2017. The Education Policy Institute have also published several reports on children and young people's mental health. Findings include long waiting times for treatment, children and adolescents being treated on adult wards, negative effects of social media use and policymakers being out of date with technology.

Mental health services across the board are under increasing demands to provide for an ever-growing number of people. It is therefore essential that policymakers and implementers approach this issue correctly. Children and young people are particularly vulnerable when it comes to poverty, trauma and unhealthy social media use, which all inevitably effect their wellbeing and mental state.

While children and young people await these policies to come into action, they face delayed and potentially inadequate treatment. In October 2016, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt referred to CAMHS as 'possibly the biggest single area of weakness in NHS provision.' It is therefore essential that the necessary improvements are made in order to provide for some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

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  • Confirmed Speakers

  • Event Programme

08:30

Registration and Coffee in the Networking Area

09:25

Chair's Opening Address

  • Dr Terry Hanley, Programme Director of the Doctorate in Counselling Psychology, Manchester Institute of Education, University of Manchester (confirmed)
09:30

Keynote Address

  • Claire Eastham, Bestselling Author, 'We're All Mad Here' (confirmed)
"How to spot a child that's struggling"

Statistics indicate that 1 in 10 children are affected by a mental health condition. Claire was one of those children and she would like to briefly share her story and highlight ways for teachers and educators to spot the early signs. 

09:50
  • Ellie Isaacs, Mental Health Manager, Children and Young People's Mental Health, Department of Health and Social Care (confirmed)
  • Daniela D'Urso, Team Leader, Children and Young People’s Mental Health, Department for Education (confirmed)
"Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision: A green paper"

In December 2017, a long-awaited green paper was published to transform services for children and young people's mental health. This session will look at the areas covered by the green paper and the government's aims for the next stages.

10:20

Case Study

"A case of patient X: Blood on their hands"

The presentation concerns a case of patient X who attracted high levels of publicity due the degree of risk; and how the clinical team at Cygnet Hospital Bury supported this complex case resulting in a desirable outcome for the patient and family.

10:40

Q&A Session

11:05

Coffee in the Networking Area

11:50

Case Study

  • Aaron Sefi, Research and Evaluation Director, XenZone (confirmed)
"Lessons from the front line: How young people shaped Kooth, the online counselling and emotional support service"

Over the last 16 years, young people have taught us a lot about how they want to get mental health support online. Key to success is anonymity, accessibility and choice.  Written testimonials from children and young people dramatically illustrate the value of online therapeutic support.

12:10
  • Sabina Hafesji, Regulatory Policy Officer – Mental Health, Care Quality Commission (confirmed)
"Children and young people’s mental health thematic review"

In October 2017, the Care Quality Commission published phase one of their review of children and young people's mental health services followed by their phase two report in March 2018 . Both reports found that: "The system as a whole is complex and fragmented. Mental health care is funded, commissioned and provided by many different organisations that do not always work together in a joined-up way. As a result, and despite the best efforts of staff working in these services, too many children and young people have a poor experience of care and some are unable to access timely and appropriate support.

12:30

Case Study

  • Dr Annie Swanepoel, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Clinical Director for CAMHS, Elysium Healthcare (confirmed)
"The case for early intervention from the perspective of the opposite extreme"

Children’s mental health in the UK is in crisis. One reason is that financial hardship makes parents more stressed and more likely to maltreat their children through abuse and/or neglect. Children adapt to harsh home situations by (wrongly) assuming that they deserve the maltreatment as there is something wrong with them and they learn to trust no one. Helping them once they have significant problems with aggression or self-harm is difficult, time-consuming and expensive.

We know that the brain is most malleable in the early years – this is when intervention is needed and when it is most cost-effective. Early intervention prevents suffering and saves money in the longer term.

12:50

Q&A Session

13:10

Lunch in the Networking Area

14:10

Chair's Afternoon Address

14:15

Case Study

"Insights and learnings on how to integrate digital into CAMHS clinical pathways"

With CAMHS services seeking new ways in which to transform their service provision models to meet the growing demand and changing lifestyles of children, young people and families, the question of how to successfully integrate digital into clinical pathways is becoming increasingly important. Healios, the UK’s leading online provider of mental health and neurodevelopmental services will share their learnings on how to create an entirely new experience for children and young people by collaborating with CAMHS team to enhance and optimise access and choice for when, where and how children, young people and families choose to engage with their care. 

14:35
  • Helen Barnard, Head of Analysis, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (confirmed)
"How does poverty affect children’s mental health?"

Helen Barnard will set out how the current state of poverty in the UK, and how it affects mental health.  She will also look ahead to the prospects for poverty over the next few years, and what is needed to reduce its grip on children’s lives.

14:55

Case Study

  • Matt Buttery, Chief Executive Officer, Triple P UK (confirmed)
"Bringing parents into the equation"

When a community makes its families feel supported, the benefits for children will spread across the community.

15:15

Q&A Session

15:30

Coffee in the Networking Area

15:45
  • Amy Orben, College Lecturer, University of Oxford (confirmed)
"Teens and screens: What we (don’t) know"

Children today have never known a world without the Internet, and spend much of their lives online. What effects does this have on their social lives and psychological well-being? While a lot seems certain when following public and press debates, the science behind it often tells a different story

16:05
  • Dr Rachel Hiller, Prize Research Fellow, Department of Psychology, University of Bath (confirmed)
"Child trauma exposure: What research can tell us about mental health outcomes and interventions"

Exposure to trauma during childhood is relatively common, and can range from common accidental exposure (e.g. a serious car accident) to serious repeated intentional exposure (i.e. maltreatment). This talks aims to provide an overview of the prevalence of mental health difficulties following trauma, with a particular focus on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), why some young people go on to develop PTSD following exposure, and the evidence base for psychological interventions following either one-off or multiple trauma exposures.

16:25
  • Marc Bush, Chief Policy Adviser, YoungMinds (confirmed)
"Challenges to 2020 and beyond"

Using insight from YoungMinds' extensive work with children, young people, families, carers and frontline professionals, Marc explores the opportunities and challenges facing the children's mental health services and workforces in their attempts to translate and implement Future in Mind, the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, and the Government's Green Paper reforms.

16:45

Q&A Session

17:00

Chair's Closing Address and Event Close

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  • Contact Details
  • News
  • Sponsors
  • Supporters
  • Venue
  • Featured Events
  • Downloads
  • Who will attend

Contact Details

News

  • Importance of Schools in the Children and Young People’s Mental Health System

    • Posted on 01 December 2017
    • by Professor Dame Sue Bailey OBE
  • Greater Manchester Devolution - A Chance for Mental Health Revolution

    • Posted on 04 December 2017
    • by Dr Sandeep Ranote
  • Children and Young People’s Mental Health: Improving Care, Treatment and Support

    • Posted on 13 December 2017

Sponsors

Supporters

Venue

The Royal National Hotel, London

The Royal National Hotel, London

Offering breathtaking views across Russell Square the hotel is within easy walking distance to the British Museum. Well located with Russell Square underground station a 2 minute walk away.

Featured Events

  • Children and Young People's Mental Health: Improving Care, Treatment and Support

    • 12 December 2017
    • 08:30 - 16:30
    • The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
  • Children and Young People’s Mental Health: Taking Early Action

    • 06 July 2017
    • 08:30 - 16:30
    • The Royal National Hotel, London
  • Children and Young People’s Mental Health: Promoting Integration and Early Intervention

    • 08 December 2016
    • 08:30 - 16:30
    • Pendulum Hotel & Manchester Conference Centre

Downloads & Resources

  • Open Forum Events Sponsorship Brochure
    Open Forum Events offer a number of partnership, sponsorship and exhibition opportunities that can meet your marketing and business development needs.
  • CYPMH Conference Presentation Slides - OFE London 03.07.18.zip
    CYPMH Conference Presentation Slides - OFE London 03.07.18.zip

who will attend

  • Academics
  • Acute and Community Mental Health Services
  • Allied Health Professionals
  • Area Managers
  • Business / Service Development Managers
  • CAMHS Clinicians
  • CAMHS Services
  • Care Co-Ordinators
  • Chairs of NHS Trust Board
  • Chief Constables
  • Chief Executives and Assistant Chief Executives
  • Clinical Commissioning Groups
  • Commissioning Managers
  • Directors / Heads of Adult Social Services
  • Directors / Heads of Children's Social Services
  • Directors / Heads of Housing
  • Directors / Heads of Nursing
  • Directors / Heads of Public Health
  • Disability Advisers
  • Equality and Diversity / Inclusion Managers
  • General Practitioners and Practice Managers
  • Heads of Commissioning
  • Heads of Service
  • Heads of Strategy
  • Headteachers
  • Health and Wellbeing Boards and Managers
  • Housing Associations
  • Medical Directors / Officers
  • Mental Health Researchers
  • Nurses
  • Pastoral Care Teams
  • Psychiatrists
  • Psychologists
  • School Counsellors
  • Social Workers