Toolkit to help improve children & young people

YoungMinds and NHS England have today launched a new toolkit to help improve children and young people’s mental health.

The Parents Say toolkit was created by YoungMinds in consultation with 900 parents and commissioned by NHS England. The aim of the toolkit is to help health professionals to include parents and carers in every aspect of how young people’s mental health services are delivered. This covers everything from what happens in the treatment room to how to service is designed.

FIVE KEY THEMES

The Parents Say toolkit consists of a series of online modules and resources to help health professionals understand the experience of families dealing with a child or young person going through mental health treatment.

The toolkit is based around five key themes:

• Workforce Development
• Leadership and Service Development
• Equality and Diversity
• Communication
• Methods of Engagement

These themes were selected by the YoungMinds Parent Champions and are accompanied by five short films. The films feature families talking about their need to be better informed, to be able to give their views and to get simpler explanations of the care their child will receive.

PLAYING A VITAL ROLE

Speaking of the Parents Say toolkit Sarah Brennan, Chief Executive of YoungMinds said:

YoungMinds are delighted to be launching our innovative Parents toolkit for the NHS, which will greatly improve parents’ experiences of mental health services.

Parents and carers desperately want more opportunities for involvement when their child is using mental health services so they can play a vital role in supporting their children when they are suffering. However many parents and carers have told us they feel excluded and isolated from the treatment process, and often feel blamed for their children’s mental health problems.

Our toolkit offers a wealth of practical resources to improve the relationship between services and parents, so that many more children and families get the right treatment and support they so desperately need.”

The Parents Say toolkit is available online via the YoungMinds website.