Dr Judy FosterChair St Michael’s Fellowship on the PMHCW Network

Workshop E:Professional networks and their role

in putting recommendations into practice

PARENTAL MENTAL HEALTH AND CHILD WELFARE PROJECT

is a collaboration between the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) involving:

• A literature review of existing research into health and social care services supporting parents with mental health problems and their children, and

• A survey of current practice in this area.

PRACTICE SURVEY

Five practice sites considered the following issues:• Joint planning and commissioning processes• Needs assessment and evaluation, inc. BME, asylum/ refugees• Service provision and relevant policies• Operational practice (including protocols and care pathways)• Information systems and information sharing• Professional practice• Management, supervision, and organisational structures• Service and workforce development

DOCUMENT AND INFORMATION COLLECTION

• Local project teams organised the collection of a range of existing relevant local documentation, in order to answer questions around the key issues identified in the previous slide. Only existing information was used.

PROCESS MAPPING

• Process mapping was used as a method to understand the experiences or ‘care pathways’ of parents and their children when accessing and receiving mental health or children & families services locally. Each site produced 2 or 3 maps of

existing service responses.

DISCUSSION GROUPS AND INTERVIEWS

• Discussions were arranged with key individuals/ groups, including service users in order to supplement the process

mapping exercise.

ANALYTICAL REPORT

• The results of the practice survey were written up and subsequently tested through consultation with the SCIE Parental Mental Health and Child Welfare Network.

Karen JohnsonSafeguarding Children Lead, Mental Health Trusts Network

Geoff AllcockSenior Nurse for Safeguarding Children, Birmingham & Solihull MH NHS

Foundation

Workshop E:Professional networks and their role

in putting recommendations into practice

National Network for Safeguarding Children Leads in Mental Health

Why a network of safeguarding leads? Mental Health Safeguarding Children leads required to change

practice - ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ Mental Health Systems Pivotal between mental health and social care systems Political and complex and influential role Posts were new and isolated and needed support Defining Role Required to advise whole systems Demystification and clarification of mental health to non

mental health agencies and LSCBs

Roles and Responsibilities

Significant variations in resources, status and authority

Complex and sometimes poorly understood role within own and other agencies

Required to educate Boards and Senior staff Key activity bringing together agencies to provide safe

practices for vulnerable children and families Strategic, operational and clinical Network plans to provide professional support and

development No national standard of good practice: what does good

practice in safeguarding in Mental Health Trusts look like?

What is our ‘mission’?

To improve outcomes for children and families adversely affected by parental mental ill-health. To help to develop whole family integrated systems approaches and build capacity and capability in systems to deliver best safeguarding practices.

How 1.By influencing change in outdated isolated practices2. By establishing national standards for good safeguarding

practices (including resources)3.By leading mental health systems to develop policy,

procedure and guidance consistent with best practice i.e. integrated care planning, SCIE Parental Mental Health and Child Welfare

Oliver KianchehrChildren’s Specialist in Adult Mental Health, London Borough of Tower

Hamlets

Workshop E:Professional networks and their role

in putting recommendations into practice

Parental Mental Health & Child Welfare

The CHAMP project

London Borough of Tower Hamlets

Oliver Kianchehr – Children’s Specialist in Adult Mental Health

CHILDREN’S SERVICES

VOLUNTARY SECTOR

CAMHS

ADULT MENTAL HEALTH

Parental mental health interest group

Multi-disciplinary membership including: Borough Co-ordinator, parental mental health CAMHS CMHT Manager Education (Behaviour supp/Transition/Ed.Psych) Educational Social Workers (AWAs) Voluntary sector project (F.A. Building Bridges) Young Carers’ project

CHAMP pilot project

12 month pilot project based in one of four CMHTs

Previous estimate of around 100 children of service users known to Isle of Dogs & South Poplar Community Mental Health Team out of an estimated total of 250 in the borough as a whole

Review of CMHT files as well as Social Services databases revealed true number to be 229. If replicated in other 3 CMHTs, the total number for LBTH is likely to be in the region of 600 children

Discrepancy due to the lack of accurate information about children collected by adult services

Outcomes Professionals reported reduced anxiety about working with parental mental illness. They

also found it helpful to have someone available to discuss cases or make joint visits

Parents valued the opportunity for their children to talk to someone else about their

parent’s illness as they find this difficult to do themselves. Also felt happy to see their children happy and engaged in more pleasurable activities

Children• ‘he keeps us safe’• ‘he helps with school problems’• ‘he asks our parents to help us with things, like home work’• ‘he talks about when people have moods’

Children and Adults Mental Health Project (CHAMP)

Gurinder Lall          Project Coordinator           

Fateha Hussain      Team Administrator 

Noah Solarin          Children's Specialist in Adult Mental Health                          

Louise Gallagher Learning Support Service Teacher

Oliver Kianchehr    Children's Specialist in Adult Mental Health,                                  Isle of Dogs & South Poplar CMHT                                 The Barkantine Centre, 121 Westferry Road, London E14 8JH                                 Tel:    0207 791 8299

E-mail: oliver.kianchehr@towerhamlets.gov.uk                                                                 Project e-mail: CHAMP@towerhamlets.gov.uk