Participation – Current Projects

As part of a transformation of children and young people’s mental health services, certain responsibilities have been devolved to local groups of provider services. These are called Provider Collaboratives, and their aim is to better understand need at a regional level and respond with the most effective and appropriate clinical models and pathways.

The South West Provider Collaborative has responsibility for the quality assurance and commissioning of the more intensive end of mental health services for young people (inpatient and day patient hospitals and some intensive community support services). As a central element of this, the voice of the child, young person and family is critical.

In 2021, we developed a ‘South West Provider Collaborative In-Patient Strategy for the Participation and Engagement of Young People and Parent Carers’. The aim of the strategy was to better understand how young people and their families want to be involved in their care. In what ways do they want to be supported to have their voices heard? When and where do they want to be actively involved, and what methodologies suit them best? Who do they want to speak to, and how do they want to share with wider members of their care team?

We are now working to implement the strategy, with the aim of improving the experience of young people and parent carers accessing inpatient services. To find out more about the project, and how to get involved, please get in touch at: CYP-Participation@exeter.ac.uk