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This national conference focuses on transforming mental health services for children and young people, ensuring early intervention, and developing integrated services with clear care pathways from first intervention to crisis and inpatient care. We will also see the latest in national developments, how we can improve mental health and wellbeing support in schools, and will also focus on suicide prevention and safety, self harm, co-production involvement of children and families in CAMHS, and inter-agency working and access to services.
There will be a workshop focusing on improving mental health support in school following the development of NHS mental health support teams which are now in place in around 4,700 schools and colleges across the country, with 287 expert teams offering support to children experiencing anxiety, depression, and other common mental health issues.
“20% of children aged 8 to 16 had a probable mental disorder in 2023, up from 12% in 2017. Among those aged 17 to 19, 10% had a probable mental disorder in 2017, rising to 23% in 2023.”
Mental Health Statistics: Prevalence, Services and Funding in England, House of Commons Research Briefing, March 2024
“We need fresh, long-term thinking when it comes to children’s mental and emotional health and wellbeing. Much of this work must be done upstream, creating an environment and a world – both online and offline - where children grow up feeling happy, safe and supported. This means every child feels loved and nurtured, lives free from poverty, and is able to focus on learning. With enough focus on prevention, children should never come close to crisis.”
Children’s Mental Health Services 2022-23, Children’s Commissioner, March 2024
“It’s unacceptable that so many children and young people are reaching crisis point before they are able to access care. We cannot allow this to become the new norm. Severe mental illness is not just an adult problem, the need for specialist mental health services for children and young people is growing all the time. The evidence shows us that children who receive support quickly are less likely to develop long-term conditions, that negatively affect their education, social development and health in later life.”
Dr Elaine Lockhart, Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Child and Adolescent Faculty
“A recent report published by Mind warns that children and young people continue to face challenges with their mental health but the NHS and schools cannot cope with the level of need. MHSDS data shows that while the number of children and young people in contact with mental health services increased by 16% from 2022/23 to 2023/24, the number of interactions they had with mental health services only increased by 10%.”
CQC Mental Health Act Review, published 14 March 2025
This conference will enable you to:
Network with colleagues who are working to improve mental health services for children and young people
Reflect on the lived experience of a young person with lived experience
Learn from outstanding practice in transforming CAMHS
Update your knowledge on national developments and learning including how we can improve accessibility and waiting times
Improve early intervention and working with schools in a preventative way to improve wellbeing and resilience
Develop your skills in new ways of working with children and young people in crisis
Improve suicide prevention and learning from suicide – including the role of the Suicide and Self Harm competency framework, and the 2022 NICE Guideline on Self Harm
Reflecting on CAMHS and Safeguarding including the increasing role of using a contextual safeguarding framework
Working with schools in improving wellbeing reducing suicide in children and young people
Working collaboratively with families and communities to find out what works best to improve mental health within a school or college
Implement recommendations from Getting it Right First Time in Children and Young Peoples Mental Health (GiRFT)
Self assess and reflect on your own practice
Supports CPD professional development and acts as revalidation evidence. This course provides 5 Hrs training for CPD subject to peer group approval for revalidation purposes
