Escalation Pathway – Access to CAMHS Inpatient Unit

Escalation Pathway – Access to CAMHS Inpatient Unit

Strategic Planning Meeting

It should be noted that this strategic meeting should not replace or duplicate any operational care planning meeting, but information should be shared between the two meetings.

Escalation to strategic planning meeting: Social Work Management Team along with relevant group manager and/or CAMHS team identify situation where young person requires inpatient CAMHS service, but this is not available within a two-week timeframe. Discussions to take place with Heads of Service in relevant agencies and meeting convened.

Convening meeting: meeting can be convened by any senior manager who identifies that a specialist CAMHS inpatient service is required for a young person in need of clinical assessment and care and that bed is not available.

Membership of meeting:

• Head of Service NYC Children’s Services
• Senior manager CAMHS
• Children’s Commissioning Lead H&NY ICB
• NHS E/Provider Collaborative Senior Commissioning Lead for CAMHS
• Designated Nurses for Safeguarding/ Children in Care if appropriate
• Safeguarding Children Team from relevant mental health provider
• Consultant Psychiatrist for young person
• Any other appropriate senior professional involved with the young person
• Chairing:  Senior colleague from NHS E/Provider Collaborative Senior Commissioning Lead for CAMHS or TEWV CAMHS or  ( to be agreed at the first meeting)

Minuting: notes should be recorded for all meetings and an action log maintained. Responsibility for taking notes and maintaining action log to be agreed at initial meeting. (Consideration should be given to recording meetings taking place virtually to support accurate minuting).

Frequency of meeting: frequency of meetings to be agreed with attendees and will be dependent on levels of risk and availability of CAMHS inpatient services.

Objectives of meeting:

• Consideration should be given to whether or not the young person has a diagnosis of a Learning Disability or autism  and whether the young person is on the Dynamic Risk Register and if so, whether referral to the CETR process should be made
• To determine a shared understanding of risk levels and levels of need, and how this is going to be managed
• To agree care and support needs for the young person whilst awaiting availability of CAMHS inpatient provision
• To explore collaboratively how those care and support needs may best be met, including alternative/additional bespoke commissioning arrangements and funding for same
• Working together to explore all avenues for appropriate placement for young person
• Ensuring that any necessary assessments and documentation are completed and available prior to planned admission (e.g. assessments under the Mental Health Act)

Communication:

• The young person and their family should be kept informed of any decisions agreed at the strategic planning meeting.
• The outcome of strategic planning meetings should be fed back to the chairperson of any operational meetings taking place around the day-to-day care and support for the young person.
• There should be ongoing communication between the strategic planning meeting and the CAMHS inpatient unit (once identified) to support the admission process.

Stepping down: once a placement is identified, the strategic planning group will cease to meet, and planning will be handed over to the operational group and care coordinators.