Improve the emotional well-being of children, young people and families
You can read the summary below, or access the full versions in the right-hand column.
What will be different in one year’s time?
What actions are planned over the next year?
Why does this matter?
- Good emotional health in infants, children and young people is essential for them to do well in later life. It is vital for their development. This includes physical development, as well as learning to get along with other people and being able to think and learn
- Children and young people who are emotionally resilient are more able to deal with difficulties in their lives and to cope with uncertainty
- Emotional and mental health affects many areas of a child or young person’s life. Children with good emotional health are likely to do better at school and to have good relationships with family and friends. They are less likely to take unnecessary risks or behave in an anti-social way
- Social situations such as family circumstances have a strong influence on emotional health
- Children in vulnerable circumstances, such as children who are in local authority care, are particularly likely to suffer emotional and mental ill health
- Untreated mental health problems create enormous distress for children, young people, their families and carers. This continues into later life and affects future generations
- Children, young people and families who experience disadvantage are more likely to have emotional health needs.
Where are we now?
Local data is reflective of national data and tells us
- At least 10% of children between the age of five and fifteen will have a diagnosable mental health disorder
- 5% will have a clinically significant disorder that will need specialist support
- 10% of young people self harm as a way of coping with emotional pressure
- 15% of males and 25% of females aged fourteen to twenty-five will experience emotional health difficulties.
What children, young people or families tell us
- Happiness is seen as key to good emotional well-being
- Having friends and living in friendly neighbourhoods are seen as vital to children and young people’s happiness
- Children in vulnerable circumstances feel isolated and find it difficult to fit in with others. Some children feel embarrassed by their parent’s behaviour
- Children, young people and families want things to do and places to go
- Children and young people want to be able to get the extra support they need, provided by people who care, and delivered in places where they feel comfortable and welcomed
- Young people want support at key transition points – for example, when they change schools or leave school
- Families want help and support for parents when they need it, including support for parents’ emotional and mental health needs.
What will be different in a year’s time?
- District Emotional Health and Wellbeing Teams will be visible in each district and will work in a range of delivery settings
- Workers with children, young people and families will feel more confident in promoting emotional health and resilience because they will have had training in how to do this
- There will be more staff to support the emotional health needs of children who are in local authority care
- Workers who provide services to children, young people and families will work together better to promote emotional health and well-being.
What actions are planned over the next year?
- District Emotional Health and Wellbeing Teams will provide accessible support to children, young people and families
- District Emotional Health and Wellbeing Teams will develop arrangements to provide consultation and advice to all staff who work with children, young people and families
- Emotional health training will be delivered to a range of staff working with children and young people
- Services will be re-modelled for children and young people who have a learning disability and experience mental health needs
- There will be increased resources to support work with children who are in local authority care.
How will we measure impact?.
- How well we perform together to achieve National Indicator 50 – Emotional Health of children
- Feedback from children and young people through the Tellus Survey
- Feedback from children and young people when they use services. This will include feedback on what young people want to get out of the services that they use.
Contact Information
Lead Partnership Group:
The NI 50 Emotional Health Reference Group focuses directly on work to achieve the National Indicator 50: emotional health and well-being. This group feeds into the Nottinghamshire County CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) Strategic Partnership.
Strategic Leads:
The lead for the NI 50 Emotional Health Reference Group is Sally Handley, Head of CAMHS Partnership Commissioning
The Chair of the Nottinghamshire County CAMHS Strategic Partnership is Dr Chris Kenny, the Vice-Chair is Helen Ryan, Service Director Social Care and Health, Nottinghamshire County Council Children and Young People’s Services
For more information about how this work is being developed, contact:
Sally Handley on tel: 0300 300 1234.
