Over the past few months, children, young people, parents and carers from the Liverpool CAMHS partnership have been in consultation with the Care Quality Commission following the review of young people’s mental health services.
They expressed their views in relation to changes they felt were needed to ensure mental health was a priority.
Out of the 10 things the group suggested seven were used in the review as recommendations to cities across the country to raise awareness, promote positive mental health and improve access to services.
During the review process, one of the YPAS Young Ambassadors – Jess asked the question ‘Are you really listening to us?’ She was subsequently invited to London to attend the official launch of the review paper, called ‘Are we really listening?’
The CQC acknowledged throughout the launch that the whole report had been so named “Are We Listening”, due to Jess’s questions during the consultation with CQC officer Gary Risdale, who says that he continued to hold all colleagues to account throughout the process reminding them continually that they needed to answer what came to be known as the “Jess question” to clearly show how they were listening.
The report describes the findings of this independent review of the system of services that support children and young people’s mental health.
The Prime Minister requested a review of quality and access across the system of mental health services for children and young people. This report marks the second phase of that review. Read the report from phase one.
The report draws on evidence gathered from fieldwork in 10 health and wellbeing board areas in England. Read the full report here.