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WQ.232/2019
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES
BY DEPUTY K.G. PAMPLIN OF ST. SAVIOUR
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 4th JUNE 2019
Question
Will the Minister provide an update on the transfer of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (C.A.M.H.S.) to the Minister for Children and Housing and advise how the relevant Ministers and Departments have been consulted and briefed; and will he further advise what concerns or issues in respect of the transfer have been raised, if any, what work has been (or will be) done to address any such concerns or issues?
Answer
Under the One Gov structural changes, CAMHS and Community Health and Therapy Services based at the Child Development Centre transferred to Children, Young People, Education and Skills (CYPES) on the 3rd June 2019.
A project group led by the Group Director CYPES and the Director of Operations in Community Services has been in place to consider, plan and implement two key phases:
Phase 1: the safe transition of services across the departments
Phase 2: the review and redesign of CAMHS and Community Health and Therapy Services, which will be a 12-month programme of work
The project reports to the meetings of the monthly CYPES Change for Children Programme Board.
The project has a number of workstreams which populate a clinical governance framework and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two departments. The documents cover:
- Overarching principles
- CYPES responsibilities
- HCS responsibilities
- Clinical governance
- Finance
- Business planning and performance measurement
- Workforce
- Data and information governance
- Estates and facilities
Under the Clinical Governance framework and MOU:
- Clinical and professional governance will remain the responsibility of Health and Community Services (HCS)
- A joint HCS/CYPES Oversight Executive Group will oversee the services
- All quality assurance components will remain the same, such as DATIX (a patient safety incident reporting and risk management system) and Serious Incident Reviews
- Management arrangements in both CYPES and HCS are being designed to ensure accountability for both operational and clinical governance
- All clinicians/therapists/nurses will remain members of their respective professional forums and feed into their respective Allied Health Professionals or Nursing Forums.
A staff engagement session with staff working in the services concerned took place on 2 May. It was attended by senior managers in both departments with just under 30 staff in attendance. The session was participative with staff able to express their thoughts and anxieties, and to ask questions and make suggestions about how the service should progress in the future. Staff are keen to be involved in the future shape and design of services and made clear their commitment to improving outcomes for children.
The Ministers for Health and Social Services, CYPES and Education have been briefed on the transfer of services and redesign and this will continue. Whilst concerns have been raised by ministers, clinicians and other staff at various stages, these have been addressed within the transition planning. The joint collaborative approach of HCS and CYPES will improve services for children and young people and their families and carers, as well as addressing clinical and professional governance, quality and safety concerns.
The transfer took effect on 3rd June 2019.