Transformation Partners in Health and Care > Resources > Report highlighting children and young people’s mental health review findings

In 2018 and 2019 the NHS England and NHS Improvement Mental Health System Improvement Team (MH SIT) undertook reviews in 7 London boroughs of NHS commissioned children and young people’s mental health (CYPMH) provision. The reviews focused on the delivery of evidence-based treatment pathways and the standards for CYP access expansion and outcomes.

We are delighted to publish a summary report produced by the Healthy London Partnership in order to share findings and learning from these reviews. Our report shares:

  • Key findings and suggested high-impact changes which mental health systems could implement
  • Summary issues, challenges and recommendations
  • Examples of positive practice identified
  • Tools and resources recommended to support systems in their improvement activity.

The reviews focused on 10 thematic good practice domains which have been identified as the core components of a truly optimised CYPMH system. Although not an assurance exercise the reviews were intended to facilitate systems in developing and delivering optimal CYPMH services.

10 thematic good practice domains:

  1. Strategy and Sustainability
  2. The Model
  3. Access and Waits
  4. Practice-based on best available evidence
  5. Workforce
  6. Involvement and Participation
  7. Productivity
  8. Outcomes
  9. Data and Informatics
  10. Culture

Suggested next steps for mental health systems

Although the reviews were undertaken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic the review findings will be important for the development of recovery and restoration plans and can support mental health systems and services to think and plan for how to change and transition going forward.

The 10 good practice domains used as benchmarks for the MH SIT reviews are all aspects of delivering good CYP MH pathways but do not exist in isolation. They are interconnected and interdependent – in order to deliver short waits to meaningful treatment, it is not enough to only change one or two areas, but the whole system. We recommend that systems hold follow up discussions to work through these SIT review findings using the CYP MH System Maturity Tool, either to re-review progress made from a previous SIT review or to undertake a self-review for the first time.

Please find the report here

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