Two North East mental health Trusts are to work in partnership to deliver a new service for young people.
The North East and North Cumbria Forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, which will be operational from April, is a joint partnership between Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (NTW) and Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV).
We are delighted to have been successful with our partners at TEWV to deliver this newly commissioned mental health service for children and young people across the North East and North Cumbria area
Toni GibsonService Manager
The new NHS England commissioned service aims to support the Governments vision for improved care for children and young people up to the age of 18 years who present with high risk (forensic) mental health behavior. The service also supports children and young people leaving secure settings, for example young offender institutions, secure hospitals also secure children’s homes. The aim is to support young people in being treated in the right place, at the right time and as near to their home as possible.
The service is community based and will deliver forensic consultations, assessments and specialist intervention and treatment.
Michael Taylor, Associate Nurse Consultant, TEWV added: “This is an exciting opportunity to bring together the expertise of two long-established forensic mental health providers, to help forge a specialist regional wide service which will meet the specific needs of high risk children and young people, as well as additionally supporting professionals working with these young people.”
With the numbers of children and young people experiencing mental health problems growing, it is important to give them the best start in life and look after not just their physical health but their emotional wellbeing as well. Anxiety, low mood, self-harm, eating disorders and depression can all leave a youngster vulnerable and stop them achieving what they want in life.