Report on the Implementation of Standard 9 of the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services

This document reports on progress in improving the mental health and psychological well-being of children and young people. It highlights some areas on which service providers and commissioners will need to focus if the ten-year objectives set out in Standard 9 of the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Materinty Services (NSF) are to be achieved, and offers best practice guidance to assist achievement.

In the short term, the report focuses on progress towards the achievement of the public service agreement (PSA) target that a comprehensive CAMHS should be commissioned in all parts of England by the end of 2006. This is measured by availability of services for young people with learning disabilities, 16-17-year-olds, and 24-hour cover and next-day specialist assessment, which are sustainable and locally-provided.

The report goes on to make specific recommendations for CAMHS commissioners and providers of services to ensure the delivery of good practice in the medium term and summarises the extent of progress which CAMHS should expect to achieve by the mid-point in the NSF ten-year cycle in order to achieve the full programme.

The annex includes the following models of good practice:

• 24-hour and emergency cover
• Services and transitional arrangements for young people
• Early intervention for psychosis teams (EIP)
• CAMHS for children and young people with learning disabilities (LD)
• CAMHS management and leadership
• Service redesign
• Early intervention and primary care
• Specialist CAMHS at Tier 4
• Paediatric liaison
• Children and young people with complex, severe and persistent behavioural and mental health needs
• Services for children in care
• Youth justice
• Routine outcome monitoring (ROM)
• Delivering race equality
• Workforce development
• User involvement
• Choice

Click for more on health on the Every Child Matters website.