Representatives from the Provider Collaborative (PC) and wider Kent and Sussex health and care systems have been working on a new strategy for the PC, which will set out the priorities for the next two to three years.
Building on the strong working relationships between the provider partners, the PC is looking to develop a broader mix of services for young people with acute mental health needs. This includes intensive home treatment, day services and specialist in-patient services.
The aim is to ensure new services are aligned with the wider health and care services commissioned by the Kent and Sussex ICBs and local authorities, particularly where they overlap with services for young people with learning disabilities and autism, as well as those in crisis who require residential accommodation.
Meetings in Kent and Sussex have been taking place to identify the opportunities and challenges for the PC and prioritise areas of focus. This includes the need to develop a broader range of specialist services - such as a PICU and secure services - to reduce the need for children and young people to be placed in hospitals out of area, and enhance the support for young people required nasal gastric (NG) feeding.
A joint workshop will be taking place in the new year, at which representatives from Kent and Sussex will explore future ways of working more collaboratively across both counties to pool expertise and maximise learnings as new services are developed. If you would like to attend the workshop in January, please email spft.
This work will feed into the development of a wider strategy for the new CAMHS Tier 4 PC for Kent and Medway, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight following negotiations with NHS England. This will come into effect in April 2024.