COSLA and the Scottish Government have jointly published the recommendations of the Children & Young People’s Mental Health Taskforce and set out a blueprint for improving the mental health of young people in Scotland.
The report has recommended that the work of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Taskforce will now be taken forward by a new programme board - the Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Programme Board.
COSLA Children and Young People Spokesperson Councillor Stephen McCabe and COSLA Health and Social Care Spokesperson Councillor Stuart Currie issued a joint statement saying:
“We welcome the recommendations of the Children and Young People’s Taskforce and are very grateful for the significant amount of work and thinking that has gone into these by Taskforce and Workstream members.
“The detailed report behind these recommendations is incredibly helpful in setting out a blueprint for improving the mental health of children and young people, and the services they and their families can access.
“We know that the Taskforce and it’s Workstreams have been learning from examples of real creativity and true joined up working across Scotland, and these recommendations come as a result of listening to those working in our communities every day, and children, young people and families themselves.
“We are pleased that these will be the foundations on which the new programme board take forward their work as they really set out a framework focused on GIRFEC, working together across organisations and sectors, prevention, providing support early, and ensuring the right support is available at the right time.”
Scottish Government Minister for Mental Health Clare Haughey MSP said:
“This announcement reflects the next steps in a partnership between the Scottish Government and COSLA aimed at making sure that our children and young people and their families are able to get the right support at the right time from specialist mental health services and community support services.
“Between now and the end of 2020, the Board will take forward the recommendations of the taskforce and the Youth Commission on Mental Health. They will also oversee reform across relevant areas of education, health, community and children’s services and wider areas that impact on the mental health and wellbeing of children.
“We are very grateful to Dr Dame Denise Coia for her considered and collaborative work in leading the taskforce and for her strong guiding presence. We are also grateful to all of the taskforce and workstream members who gave their time, energy and commitment.”
Background
The Children and Young People's Mental Health Taskforce has been jointly commissioned by Scottish Government and COSLA to develop a whole system approach to children and young people's mental health in Scotland. The aim is that children, young people and their families should know that they will be supported in good mental health and will be able to access help for mental health problems which is local, responsive and evidence based.
The report has recommended that the work of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Taskforce will now be taken forward by a new programme board - the Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Programme Board.
Jointly chaired by the Scottish Government Director of Mental Health and the COSLA Interim Head of Policy, the board will report directly to the Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey and the spokespeople for COSLA Health and Social Care, and Children and Young People.
Membership of the Board will include representatives of NHS Chief Executives; Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE); Integration Joint Board Chief Officers; Directors of Education and Children’s Services (ADES); Social Work Scotland; the Royal College of GPs; the Royal College of Nursing; the Association of Educational Psychologists, the Third Sector; other allied health professionals and parents (NPF).
We will also make use of the services of a participation officer whose role will be to make the appropriate links with children and young people to ensure that a level of co-production applies, and their voices are at the centre.
Read the taskforce’s recommendations.