To ask the Minister of Health to outline what plans his Department has to improve access to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in East Londonderry, in light of the pressures on capacity identified in The Northern Ireland Mental Health Strategy: A Review of the deliverability of the Strategy’s Actions 2026-2029.

The WHSCT CAMHS continues to be challenged, like other CAMHS regionally, in meeting IEAP access targets with respect to 9-week routine Choice (new patient) appointments. The reasons for this are multi-faceted. It is no coincidence that the unique social economic, political landscape of NI coupled with high levels of social deprivation in the Western Trust area accounts for increasing trends in referral rates to the Service.

CAMHS has witnessed increasing clinical acuity levels and risk laden co-morbid presentations following the Covid pandemic and to date referral rates have continued to increase both in numbers and complexity of presentations and co-morbid mental health difficulties.

The Referral Co-ordinating team has established links with all areas in our community and voluntary sector. The Co-ordinator’s role involves liaising within local community voluntary groups and signposting young people and their families to the most appropriate service that will meet their needs and offer support.

Within the service the Referral Co-ordinators liaise with our Step 2 services in CAMHS. The service also links with local Hubs in the community in continually providing up to date information in respect of other community and voluntary sector services that can provide psychological support to young people and their families.

To improve access targets CAMHS continues to work in close partnership with Senior Trust Managers and Trust Quality Improvement and Performance colleagues with regular monitoring meetings taking place with SPPG/DOH regarding waiting times associated with access to service and ensuring positive outcomes for young people in receipt of the service.

CAMHS received recurrent additional funding of £466,000 in 2020-21 and 2022-23. This additional funding supported recruitment to strengthen Step 2 and Step 3 core CAMHS. The provision at this level provides specialist assessment and targeted therapeutic intervention to children and young people experiencing moderate to severe mental health conditions.

Recurrent funding of £169,000 through the Delivering Care Framework supporting the provision of high-quality care which is safe and effective for the Nursing and Midwifery workforce saw the appointment of a CAMHS Consultant Nurse and a CAMHS Lead Nurse in 2022-23. These posts have been filled and this has enhanced nursing structures within the service.

The CAMHS/Youth life Partnership has also been established, delivering therapeutic support at Step 2 level through counselling. This model has been successfully rolled out in the Omagh/Enniskillen sectors of the Trust for 5 – 18year olds. The Partnership is currently ongoing with recurrent funding which includes monthly audit meetings with Youth life.

A recurrent funding allocation in 2022/2023 of £285,000 also saw the establishment of the CAMHS Emotional Health & Wellbeing Team in School project, 9EWTS). This investment has supported an innovative CAMHS-led Regional response at a universal Step 1 level designed to promote greater capacity for preventative initiatives in the school setting. The EWTS initiative seeks to support allied stakeholders working in educational settings to help promote emotional wellbeing, positive mental health and strengthen self-esteem and resilience in our children in NI. Post primary schools in East Derry/L’Derry, alongside all post primary schools in NI, were invited to avail of this support.

WHSCT CAMHS and the Youth Justice Agency (YJA) have also been working in partnership, from April 2022, to assess and offer intervention in respect to the mental health needs of children and adolescents (under 18) who are potentially at risk of becoming involved with YJA and CAMHS. As part of the initial pilot a dedicated Step 3 CAMHS Senior Mental Health role has been established.

On World Mental Health Day, 10 October 2025, the CAMHS website was also launched. The website is designed to be user friendly and provides immediate access to a comprehensive range of useful resources and up to date information for young people and their families. These resources have been developed with the aim of reaching a large section of the community and are intended to function as part of a wider strategy of promoting good mental health and wellbeing. The website has also been designed as a source of information to reach out to communities and deliver immediate information aimed at reducing stigma and barriers to young people and their families who find it difficult to seek help.

There are continuing efforts to develop resources for young people and parents who are waiting for an ADHD assessment. The intention is to offer support and information for children and young people waiting for assessment through a range of on-line resources designed to engage young people to explore and provide emotional health and wellbeing support and guidance for families and young people. The programmes covered within the online resource are specific to ADHD with an aim to be informative and also to reduce barriers to accessing information to improve emotional and mental health.

The WHSCT CAMHS continues to be challenged, like other CAMHS regionally, in meeting IEAP access targets with respect to 9-week routine Choice (new patient) appointments. The reasons for this are multi-faceted. It is no coincidence that the unique social economic, political landscape of NI coupled with high levels of social deprivation in the Western Trust area accounts for increasing trends in referral rates to the Service.

CAMHS has witnessed increasing clinical acuity levels and risk laden co-morbid presentations following the Covid pandemic and to date referral rates have continued to increase both in numbers and complexity of presentations and co-morbid mental health difficulties.

The Referral Co-ordinating team has established links with all areas in our community and voluntary sector. The Co-ordinator’s role involves liaising within local community voluntary groups and signposting young people and their families to the most appropriate service that will meet their needs and offer support.

Within the service the Referral Co-ordinators liaise with our Step 2 services in CAMHS. The service also links with local Hubs in the community in continually providing up to date information in respect of other community and voluntary sector services that can provide psychological support to young people and their families.

To improve access targets CAMHS continues to work in close partnership with Senior Trust Managers and Trust Quality Improvement and Performance colleagues with regular monitoring meetings taking place with SPPG/DOH regarding waiting times associated with access to service and ensuring positive outcomes for young people in receipt of the service.

CAMHS received recurrent additional funding of £466,000 in 2020-21 and 2022-23. This additional funding supported recruitment to strengthen Step 2 and Step 3 core CAMHS. The provision at this level provides specialist assessment and targeted therapeutic intervention to children and young people experiencing moderate to severe mental health conditions.

Recurrent funding of £169,000 through the Delivering Care Framework supporting the provision of high-quality care which is safe and effective for the Nursing and Midwifery workforce saw the appointment of a CAMHS Consultant Nurse and a CAMHS Lead Nurse in 2022-23. These posts have been filled and this has enhanced nursing structures within the service.

The CAMHS/Youth life Partnership has also been established, delivering therapeutic support at Step 2 level through counselling. This model has been successfully rolled out in the Omagh/Enniskillen sectors of the Trust for 5 – 18year olds. The Partnership is currently ongoing with recurrent funding which includes monthly audit meetings with Youth life.

A recurrent funding allocation in 2022/2023 of £285,000 also saw the establishment of the CAMHS Emotional Health & Wellbeing Team in School project, 9EWTS). This investment has supported an innovative CAMHS-led Regional response at a universal Step 1 level designed to promote greater capacity for preventative initiatives in the school setting. The EWTS initiative seeks to support allied stakeholders working in educational settings to help promote emotional wellbeing, positive mental health and strengthen self-esteem and resilience in our children in NI. Post primary schools in East Derry/L’Derry, alongside all post primary schools in NI, were invited to avail of this support.

WHSCT CAMHS and the Youth Justice Agency (YJA) have also been working in partnership, from April 2022, to assess and offer intervention in respect to the mental health needs of children and adolescents (under 18) who are potentially at risk of becoming involved with YJA and CAMHS. As part of the initial pilot a dedicated Step 3 CAMHS Senior Mental Health role has been established.

On World Mental Health Day, 10 October 2025, the CAMHS website was also launched. The website is designed to be user friendly and provides immediate access to a comprehensive range of useful resources and up to date information for young people and their families. These resources have been developed with the aim of reaching a large section of the community and are intended to function as part of a wider strategy of promoting good mental health and wellbeing. The website has also been designed as a source of information to reach out to communities and deliver immediate information aimed at reducing stigma and barriers to young people and their families who find it difficult to seek help.

There are continuing efforts to develop resources for young people and parents who are waiting for an ADHD assessment. The intention is to offer support and information for children and young people waiting for assessment through a range of on-line resources designed to engage young people to explore and provide emotional health and wellbeing support and guidance for families and young people. The programmes covered within the online resource are specific to ADHD with an aim to be informative and also to reduce barriers to accessing information to improve emotional and mental health.