York parents and teachers are struggling to access children’s mental health support: Healthwatch York Snapshot Report, November 2022

Healthwatch York have published their latest snapshot report. This captures the experiences of those trying to access support locally.

Healthwatch York have published their latest snapshot report. This captures the experiences of those trying to access support locally.

The report also includes accounts from voluntary sector groups York Mind and York Carers Centre, who provide community based mental health support.

Siân Balsom, Manager of Healthwatch York said “This year, one of our key areas of focus is mental health. This report highlights the challenges people face when accessing care, such as lost paperwork and a lack of flexibility around appointment times.

We worked alongside young people with experience of using local services. Their recommendations are included within the report. Based on their experiences, they feel much more can be done to help children and young people in the city waiting for support to maintain their mental wellbeing whilst they are waiting.

We know that our health and care system is under enormous pressure. It is not our intention to increase that pressure. We hope that from these personal accounts we can explore how resources can be better used. Both to improve the experiences of those accessing support and to encourage open dialogue between patients and providers to ensure that person-centred approaches are at the forefront of service provision.”

The key findings in the report include

• A clear need for better administration processes
• A more flexible approach to appointment times that can respond to family circumstances
• Better partnership working between organisations supporting children’s mental wellbeing
• Better awareness of the training and resources available to support those involved in initial referrals

The report can be found on their website at https://www.healthwatchyork.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Nov-22-Childrens-mental-health-a-snapshot-report-FINAL-1.pdf

For more information about the work of Healthwatch York visit: www.healthwatchyork.co.uk.