Children
Changes to Children's Mental Health Services (including Northorpe Hall)
Update on the Kirklees Keep in Mind work stream - FAQs
What is the background to the changes in mental health support teams for young people?
From talking to service users, families, providers and stakeholders we believe that the current offer can be improved.
The current mental health offer for children and young people in Kirklees is fragmented, not equitable and not clear.
There are changes in the way these services are being funded as this financial year ends and the new financial begins.
This provides an opportunity to develop a new model which will offer a more holistic, consistent service to children and young people; parents and carers; educational settings; and a new entry point to access support.
What has been going on to replace these services?
Since February 2023 we have been developing a new mental health offer for children and young people with mild to moderate mental health issues and their families. The new service is being developed under the name Kirklees Keep in Mind.
This will be a holistic offer for schools, children and young people, and parents, as well as offer a new entry pathway. The new offer will be based around good practise, national requirements and will reflect the feedback we have received from parents, families, people who work in educational settings and, most importantly, children and young people.
What is the aim of Kirklees Keep in Mind?
The aim is to develop a service with a single point of entry for young people in Kirklees postcodes so that children and young people can access the right services, in the right place and at the right time; by only having to tell their story once. By having one holistic assessment, it will improve the timeliness of support and identify wider context and environmental factors which may contribute to their poor mental health. Reflecting on engagement with local families and professionals, this will help ensure the correct services are involved at the earliest possible opportunity.
When can I expect to know how the new service will work?
- end of February 2004 - the specifications for the service will be finalised following input from Kirklees Health and Care Partnership members.
- 13th March 2024 – the commissioning of the new service will be confirmed at the Kirklees Integrated Care Board Committee.
- 1 April 2024 - The Kirklees Keep in Mind service will officially start although there will be a period of time where services and service users transition into the new model.
I’ve been told a service is ending? What happens now?
People currently using the Kirklees services will continue to be supported. The process for new referrals will remain in place until the new model is operational.
Some current service providers will be coming to the end of their contract and will be informing their staff and partners they will not be providing this support past a certain date. Please be reassured that plans are in place to continue support within the new framework. As further details about the new pathways are confirmed, we will communicate how the transition will take place towards the new model following the timetable above.
How will I contact / access support from April 2024?
The details regarding the new pathways are still being developed but the plan is for:
Schools:
- MHST/KKiM consultations will be opened to 100% of schools across Kirklees – this will be your entry route in.
- Early Support will be involved in the consultations with the aim of moving towards a more holistic approach and whole family working.
- Schools who contact the Thriving Kirklees Single Point of Contact (SPOC) will be redirected to their KKiM consultation process.
Everyone else (GPs, other professionals, those who are home schooled, self-referrals and families):
- You will continue to contact the Thriving Single Point of Contact on 0300 304 5555 or online at Support Request Form - Thriving Kirklees – This is no change to the current system.
- SPOC role will not change, however instead of transferring requests for support to the Single Point of Access provided by Northorpe Hall requests for support will be reviewed by the interim pathway team with appropriate support from the new multi-disciplinary team (MDT).
- It is proposed that the new MDT will be made up of representatives from early support, SWYPFT, education/SEMH outreach, 0-19 to requests for support, who will agree on the appropriate response and who will take the lead.
- SWYPFT clinical leads who currently support the SPA function will continue to support this new model to identify mental health risk as early as possible.
What support will be provided for parents in the new service?
The work of the KKiM parent offer group has been to identify and remove duplication in the system. It has been agreed that from April 2024 the KKiM parent offer will be the current offer provided by Kirklees Council Early Support. This allows us to take the opportunity to align this programme with other programmes in Kirklees and fully understand the needs of parents to evolve the offer over time in a coordinated partnership approach.
Parents will continue to contact the Thriving Single Point of Contact on 0300 304 5555 or online at Support Request Form - Thriving Kirklees for support.
What support will be provided for schools in the new service?
The KKiM school offer, currently under the MHST arrangement provided by Kirklees Council Education Psychology, has received Local and National recognition for the difference it is making. The plan is that this offer will be opened to 100% of schools across Kirklees, with the following exceptions.
- Private, Voluntary, and Independent (PVI) Early Years Settings
- Colleges and sixth forms
- Selected special schools
- Selected grammar schools
- Independent schools
- Alternative provisions
The offer will focus on the 43% of schools who have not yet benefitted from the service.
What support will be provided for children and young people?
The KKiM therapeutic offer will be provided by SWYPFT to all children and young people registered with a Kirklees GP including home educated and college cohorts and those who attend a Kirklees school / college. In the event that following consultation and assessment that a child needs further one-to-one intervention they will be referred to their registered GP/locality CAMHS. Further work will be undertaken to consider any potential cross-boundary issues.
In preparation for delivering the new model, 2023/24 underspend from vacancies has been used to fund business cases for initiatives including myhappymind and waiting lists to be in the best position possible for April 2024.
I’m still not clear what is happening to me/ my organization/ a service user. How can I get more information?
If you need more information, please call Thriving Single Point of Contact on 0300 304 5555 or online at Support Request Form - Thriving Kirklees
Children's Emotional Wellbeing Service (ChEWS) and Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
ChEWS provides short term emotional health and mental health support for children and young people in Kirklees whose emotions are impacting on their ability to function or are causing them distress on a daily basis.
The CAMHS service offers assessment and interventions for children and young people (including those with learning disabilities) who have persistent and significant difficulties with mental health issues such as:
• Severe depression
• Psychological, social or emotional difficulties which lead to self-harm and suicide attempts
• Severe anxiety (including obsessive compulsive disorder)
• Eating disorders with significant risk (such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia)
• Psychosis (in those aged under 14)
• ADHD
• Prolonged adjustment difficulties eg unusual reactions to grief
• Persistent post-traumatic reactions (PTSD)
• A range of neuropsychiatric conditions including Tourettes syndrome
• Autistic spectrum conditions
The team works hard to build positive relationships with children during such a challenging period in their life. The coping strategies and self-management techniques our team use ensure that children can live life to their full potential.
CAMHS supports children and young people by working in partnership with other organisations, including children’s social care, school nurses, schools, Health Trusts and other community-based organisations.
A a parent or carer you are able to refer your child to these services, please click the link below
Thriving Kirklees Referrals
Please note; If you are worried that your child may be suffering from ADHD or Autism, there is an assessment service, but it ONLY accepts referrals through schools. This is because, not only do they best know your child, but a large part of the assessment is done at school. Please ask the school nurse, your child's teacher or the school SEND co-ordinator for more details.
Adults
Kirklees Talking Therapies (formerly IAPT)
1 in 4 of us experience problems with our psychological (mental) wellbeing at some points in our lives.
Life changing events like losing a job, an accident, the loss of a loved one, a traumatic incident or even just moving house can lead to feelings that can be hard to cope with. Sometimes, there may be no event that has triggered how we are feeling…
You do not need to try and cope on your own. If you live in Kirklees and are over the age of 17, Talking Therapies service can help.
For more information, or to self refer please click on the link below
Talking Therapies Self Referral or call 01484 343700
! If you require more immediate support regarding your mental health please contact Kirklees 24 Hour Single Point of Access Team on
01924 316830
or The Samaritans on 116 123
Other useful websites for support;
Self Help Resources
Kirklees Mental Health Support
Adult ADHD and Autistic Spectrum Disorder Referral Requests
We are receiving increasing numbers of requests for adult ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder assessments, where patients can be referred directly to a NHS provider or a Right to Choose organisation. Patients can also refer themselves to a private provider outside the NHS for diagnosis and assessment.
If a patient chooses to go private, there are pros and cons, the pros are essentially that you will get an assessment and diagnosis quicker than from the local NHS assessment service, the cons however are that should the private service recommend medication be prescribed, to help with symptoms, this will lead to some difficulties. As a practice we would not prescribe medication that has been advised by a private service, the patient would have to obtain a private script from the private provider.
If the practice has referred a patient to Psychiatry Right to Choose teams, the practice would then be in a position to prescribe medication as recommended by the service, providing the patient has had regular reviews and monitoring by the service not the GP practice.
If you are looking for a diagnosis, to help perhaps with work place interventions, then a private referral is probably appropriate for you. If you are wanting or expecting ongoing treatment following an assessment and diagnosis, whether that be medication or follow ups, then referral to the local NHS service, albeit a longer wait, is more likely to give you the outcome you would wish for.