Agenda item

Charlotte Hammond, Learning Disabilities, Autism and Mental Health, and Mairéad Gill-Mullarkey, Adult Social Care, LCC

To receive an update on mental health and children in care as well as raising awareness of the Mental Health Act.

Charlotte Hammond, Learning Disabilities, Autism and Mental Health and Mairead Gill-Mullarkey, Adult Social Care, Lancashire County Council gave a presentation on mental health activity and the Mental Health Act.  Board members had received the presentation with the agenda prior to the meeting and further information on the following can be found here:

·  Purpose

·  Mental Health Risks for Children in our Care

·  Children and Young People Mental Health Act Detail for the last six months (March-August 2021)

·  Corporate Parents as Nearest Relative – Section 27 of the Mental Health Act

·  Children and Young People Monthly Reporting (August 21 performance data)

·  System challenges

·  Action taken by System Partners

·  Opportunities for Joint Working/Improving Practice

Following the presentation the following issues were discussed:

The responsibility of highlighting mental health issues, where an assessment is needed, depends on the care and support that is being provided to the child/young person at that time.  Some children/young people are involved with Children's Services, Child and Adult Mental Health Services (CAMHS) or Tier 4 and if they have a package of care around them or support in place, the Community Team should be identifying and managing the risk.

It was noted that there had been 113 referrals and assessment in the last six months and a question was raised as to whether this was higher than in previous years due to the impact of COVID-19.  The Board were informed that this figure was higher and had seen increases at times when there had been lockdowns and then subsequently lifted.

There was also a query as to the timeliness of the process for the Local Authority to Child and Adult Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and the Board were informed that this was the same process for the Authority as it was for the public.  The Board were informed that there was a package being introduced in Wyre to all seven High Schools looking at early interventions and agreed that this was something that should be offered to children in care in Lancashire.

The Board were informed that Health colleagues from Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust could attend a future meeting of this Board with Charlotte Hammond and Mairead Gill-Mullarkey to provide over-arching information on services and what plans were in place in relation to the system issues that are being seen.

A suggestion was made as to whether children and young people could use the Mind of My Own (MOMO) app to provide feedback on their own mental health which could then be sent through to their Social Worker, who in turn could seek further support for the children/young people if necessary.  The Board were informed that there had been lots of digital apps used during COVID-19 and when further discussions take place when Charlotte Hammond and Mairead Gill-Mullarkey return with Health colleagues, this was a further conversation that could be had specifically for children in care.

It was noted that there was a commitment from the Police to helping and that there was a vulnerability app for Samsung devices as well as access to helplines and that these were used a lot.  It was clear that whilst the Police were there to safeguard and look after children, children in the care of Police Officers was not where they should be, and the right place was with people who can offer the children/young people the right care.  Work that the Violence Reduction Network together with all partners was doing in relation to trauma informed approach training across all agencies to practitioners was a game changer for the future and would change how the Police approach vulnerability of all children including children looked after.

The following suggestions were made to the Board on opportunities for joint working/improving practice:

·  Lancashire County Council Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) Service to review current practice with joint working with Children Services for children in care.

·  An agreement between Services on who will undertake the role of Nearest Relative for Children in Care – this was agreed that through the Scheme of Delegation that this would be either or both the Head of Children Looked After and Leaving Care or the Director of Children's Social Care, Lancashire County Council.

·  Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs) to do briefing sessions for staff in Children's Services on the role of the AMHP.

Resolved:  The Board agreed:

i)  That this was an area of work that requires a workstream to be set up and would be led by Senior Officers and the Champion for Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health.

ii)  Brendan Lee, Head of Children Looked After and Leaving Care, Lancashire County Council would speak with Mairead Gill-Mullarkey outside of the meeting on the low numbers of children looked after accessing mental health services for August, in the care of Lancashire County Council.