Drop-in event to gather views about children’s mental health services in the Wakefield district
The Wakefield child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS), provided by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, is inviting people to help shape the future of the service.
Local people are invited to drop in anytime between 3pm and 7pm at St Georges Community Centre, Lupset, on Wednesday 29th May.
Wakefield CAMHS works with children and young people up to the age of 18, their families, carers and other professionals involved in their care, with a broad range of mental health problems such as self-harm, feeling down and upset, eating disorders as well as anger and behaviour problems.
As part of a review to look at what the service provides and how it meets local needs now and in the future a number of ongoing participation events have been taking place in the local community. The events are an opportunity for people to help make a real difference and improve local mental health services for all children and young people.
The events are being supported by Wakefield-based company, Faceless, a professional arts organisation. Faceless is asking young people, and their families, where they would go if they needed help with emotional issues, what qualities are important in the person they would talk to, where they would like to be seen and what kind of service they would be happy to use.
Similar events have already taken place with a group of young people at The Hut in Airedale, pupils at Rooks Nest Junior School in Outwood and families at a recent Young Bands Showcase produced by Wakefield Music Collective at Clarence Park.
The event on the 29th continues the conversation and culminates in a presentation to local decision-makers, led by young people from the service. The information collected will then be used to steer forward plans for the future.
CAMHS team leader Carol Rejaie said, “We are inviting all local people to get involved, particularly those who have used our child and adolescent mental health service. We need your expertise and experience of using our service to make sure we get it right and to help ensure we are meeting the needs of local people.
“We hope that as well as gathering information we can encourage any young people who are struggling to cope with feelings of sadness, worry or just where every day events are getting too much to tell somebody what they are worrying about so that they can find help. We would encourage young people to speak to a GP, teacher, health visitor or another adult if they are struggling to cope and they may put you in touch with us – we can then help you with how you are feeling inside and offer advice on how to cope.”
