What needs to be done and why?
Strategic Issue 1
What needs to be done
- A review of current services for young people in relation to increasing hospital admissions for self-harm, particularly in the 15-19 year old range.
- Targeted outreach in this age group should be undertaken to determine the barriers in accessing preventative services.
Why
- The rate of hospital admissions for self-harm is high, particularly 15-19 year olds. High rates of self-harm hospital admissions signals unmet needs and possibly delay access to early support.
Strategic Issue 2
What needs to be done
- Inter-departmental collaborative work to tackle and reduce poverty to reduce the rate of children in low-income families and FSM.
Why
- A high prevalence of socioeconomic pressures such as deprivation, low-income families and FSM eligibility are strong indicators of poor mental health outcomes.
Strategic Issue 3
What needs to be done
- Further implementation is required of Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing (Hartlepool Borough Council) with resources and support through schools, GPs and community partners promoting emotional wellbeing.
- Including investment in the workforce.
Why
- As there are low rates of children achieving a good level of development at the end of reception, rising pupil absence and declining rates of schools pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs which may indicate a lack of early identification and intervention.
- High rates often correlate with unmet mental health needs and suggests overlapping vulnerabilities.
Strategic Issue 4
What needs to be done
- There is a need for specialist / targeted mental health support for children in need, looked after children, children subject to child protection plans and first-time entrants to the youth justice system.
Why
- Investment in trauma-informed training, mental health literacy and multi-agency collaboration is required to support vulnerable children.
- Children in care and those with SEN are often underrepresented in service design, it is important to consider their needs as there are often overlapping vulnerabilities and unmet mental health needs.