Training for staff in acute settings working with Children and Young people in Mental Health Crisis

<p>At least one-in-four people experience a mental health problem at some point in their life and at least one-in-six children aged five to 16 identify as having a probable mental disorder. It is the single largest cause of disability in the UK, contributing up to 22.8% of the total burden, compared with 15.9% for cancers and 16.2% for cardiovascular diseases. The wider economic costs of mental illness in England are estimated at between &pound;70 and &pound;100 billion each year. All health professionals need to have an understanding of mental health conditions. HEE have developed training programmes that enable health and care employers to ensure staff have an awareness of mental health problems and how they may affect their patients. These include an awareness of the links between patients&rsquo; mental and physical health and the impact of co-morbidity, the importance of work to health and health outcomes as well as the actions they can take to ensure patients receive appropriate support. The NHS Long Term Plan (LTP) sets an ambition for more comprehensive crisis pathways in every area that are able to meet the continuum of needs and preferences for accessing crisis care, whether it be in communities, people&rsquo;s homes, emergency departments, inpatient services or transport by ambulance. Targeted investment in the development and expansion of crisis care services requires dedicated support for workforce growth and transformation. The NHS LTP is committed to providing universal, timely access to mental health crisis care and ensuring that all children and young people experiencing a mental health crisis will be able to access the support they need, including those with a Learning Disability or Autism who are at increased risk and require staff to respond appropriately to their needs, or those requiring emergency care that is related to an eating disorder. Expanding timely, age-appropriate and integrated crisis services will improve the experience of children and young people and reduce pressures on accident and emergency (A&amp;E) departments, paediatric wards and ambulance services. Evaluations of urgent and emergency care services for children and young people in Vanguard sites found that, on average, 83% of children and young people referred to crisis and liaison services were seen within four hours. Children and young people who received intensive community follow-on support subsequently made less use of crisis services compared to less integrated services. With a single point of access, including through NHS 111, all children and young people experiencing crisis will be able to access crisis care 24 hours a day, seven days a week by 2023/24, as per the commitment set out in the NHS LTP. HEE is seeking to address the needs of the staff working in acute settings who may be required to care for children and young people presenting in crisis. HEE, in collaboration with NHSE/I, commissioned a review of existing training and gaps/ barriers for the education, training, and development of the crisis care workforce predominately for those working within crisis services. This work was undertaken by Nous, using a mixed methodology rapid review process, informed by feedback from crisis practitioners. The report was submitted to HEE in November 2020 and outlines options for supporting the crisis care workforce, to support the expansion and development of crisis services for all ages / CYP and adults. Based on the feedback and recommendations of this crisis scoping report, staff working across all age groups identified providing support for children and young people as a significant gap in currently available and accessed training. The scoping report identified children and young people&rsquo;s mental health as an area where staff (both CYP and adult practitioners) need training to help develop their confidence, knowledge and skills. To add to the findings from this report, HEE and NHSE/I have also identified feedback around the need of professionals working in acute settings and paediatrics to develop their skills, confidence and competency to understand and support children and young people&rsquo;s mental health. To respond to these findings, HEE and NHSE/I have been working together to develop a robust delivery plan to underpin the need for supporting growth and development of the crisis care workforce for all ages during 2021/22 and beyond, focusing on specific CYP MH Crisis Workforce Proposals. This forms one of the delivery objectives for a wider business plan to support workforce development and transformation for crisis services.</p>