News release Innovation in children and young people’s mental health showcased in national awards

Innovative practice in supporting Lincolnshire children and young people’s mental health has been recognised at national awards.

A project to develop the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Crisis and Home Treatment Service with both Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) and Lincolnshire County Council, was announced as winners at the Healthcare Transformation Awards in the Innovation in Mental Health Care category.

Caroline Sanders, Service Manager for Complex CAMHS, has been leading the project from LPFT.

Caroline said:

“We’ve been working hard since 2016 to implement a service that would be available 24 hours a day 7 days a week for young people and vulnerable children who were experiencing a mental health relapse or crisis.

“We want to prevent lengthy hospital admissions and reduce the need for young people to seek help at A&E. Our team offers rapid mental health assessment, supports young people in their own home and liaises with other service that they may need input from.

“It is vital that young people in mental health crisis receive the right support as quickly as possible. We are thrilled to have been recognised for this important project and we will continue to develop and improve our services for the future.”

Local commissioners at Lincolnshire County Council have been supporting the development and implementation of the project since the beginning.
Councillor Mrs Patricia Bradwell, Executive Councillor for Children’s Services, said: “We’re committed to providing a full range of mental health services for children and young people in the county and it’s good to see our enhanced offer has been recognised in this way.

“It’s hugely important that our young people in the county have access to quality services which give
the quick support they need so they can move forward with confidence and achieve their best.

“This is a fine example of the excellent collaboration between LPFT and the council in developing and providing innovative CAMHS services for crisis and home treatment.”

LPFT also had success with another finalist in the same category. A project to reduce the number of patients placed in hospitals outside of Lincolnshire was also shortlisted for the awards.

The awards took place on Wednesday 26 June 2019 at the ExCeL in London, at the Health Plus Care conference.