Young people
& mental health: Bolton
A case study from the Building Health Partnerships Programme
Further reading 
Further reading
There are a number of reports you may find useful – find a full list of further reading on the Social Enterprise UK website.
Building Health Partnerships: Overview of four areas
Read more about New Care Models.
12 Steps to embedding social values in health and care commissioning.
Review of partnerships and investment in the voluntary sector.
Following a number of young suicides in Bolton there was concern that existing services and systems were not as effective as they could be.
The Building Health Partnerships programme brought together a cross-sector group of those working with young people and an active group of young representatives. They joined forces to generate ideas for how to provide better access to children and young people’s mental health support services. It is a real example of how collaborative and partnership working can strengthen relationships, ideas, practice and in turn support cost savings.
Strategic objectives
- Improve awareness of the local ‘offer’ for children and young people that would provide better access to services, and more resilience in the system
- Strategically align commissioning and opportunities for joint/cross-sector approaches
- Develop a ‘whole system’ approach to mental health through the engagement and involvement of key stakeholders through the process
- Involve children and young people in the development of future health services
Local context
- Year-on-year increase in children accessing CAMHS services
- 15k children in Bolton have a mental health need – low level anxiety and depression – which would not be suitable for a CAMHS referral
- High number of children and young people using A&E for mental health
- Increasing usage by young people for inpatient care
Impact
01.
Opened up honest conversation between providers, commissioners, voluntary and community organisations, service users and potential service users.
02.
Brought about changes in Bolton’s approach to the prevention of young suicide creating a more comprehensive, joined up approach.
03.
Supported the VCSE mental health services to form a joined up, coherent, less fragmented local offer that is clearer for commissioners and service users.
04.
Broadened understanding, engagement and cross-sector delivery of mental health strategy around Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services and training on young people’s suicide prevention support through Papyrus.
05.
Supported common understanding of commissioning language and processes.
06.
Co-produced CAMHS Transformation Plan
07.
Suicide prevention is now a key priority in the Bolton Locality Plan.
08.
Paved the way for future collaboration in other fields.
Partners
Partners
Developed and delivered in partnership with:
Funded by NHS England
The Future
The Bolton partnership is committed to moving
collaboration and partnership forward in these ways:
- Keep exploring and improving a range of pathways for young people, utilising a local asset-based approach
- Continue consulting with young people on what support should look like from their perspective
- Invite organisations to pledge commitment to the Bolton partnership approach to supporting children and young people
- Work with voluntary and community organisations to identifying new ways of working
- Develop a whole system, pathway development, working towards the CAMHS Thrive Model
Bolton is a place where all services work together in partnership to support and promote children and young people with their positive mental health and so prevent young suicide”.
Long-term benefits
- Meaningful engagement between Clinical Commissioning Groups, residents, patients, carers and their communities
- Trust and mutual understanding built between Voluntary Community & Social Enterprise organisations (VCSEs), Clinical Commissioning Groups, Health & Well-Being Boards and local authority
- Enabled senior staff in cross-sector organisations to take key leadership roles in responding to the challenges of transforming health commissioning and delivery
- Supported a local programme of intervention for more effective engagement of Voluntary Community & Social Enterprise organisations
- Shared models and experience for effective approaches to cross-sector commissioning
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142 people participated
The reach of the programme extends far beyond the number of those that participated as they share learning with their colleagues.
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73 from voluntary organisations
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19 from the local authority
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8 from the clinical commissioning group
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5 from schools & colleges
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14 Young people
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4 from the private sector
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8 others from the community
Who got involved?
- Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group
- Bolton Council – Children & Adult Services and Public Health
- Move Forward Bolton – A partnership of adult mental health providers
- BAND – a voluntary sector mental health organisation
- Bolton Together – a consortium of voluntary organisations working to support children, young people and families
- Bolton Council for Voluntary Services
- IVAR Facilitator
Other area examples
Theme |
Local area |
Outcome |
|---|---|---|
Cross-sector relationships and collaboration |
Swindon, Wakefield, Croydon, Hull, South Glos, Bolton |
|
Systems and structures developed, extended and enhanced |
|
VCSE involvement
|
|
Local investment
|
|
SE Staffordshire & Seisdon Peninsular |
New Commissioning Models
|
|
Working practices advanced and/or new practical outcomes developed |
|
Service user/citizen involvement
|
|
Social Prescribing
|
|
|
Service redesign
|
|
Bexley |
Change in working practice
|
Learn more about IVAR