Myth Busters - What's the truth about mental health?
My Life in Care - by a 14 year old boy.
My Life Story - Living with Autism and Anxiety
Participation is important for everyone who comes to CAMHS. It is about children and young people being involved in decisions that affect them. This could be decisions about the kind of care and support they want. It could also mean having a say about how the service is run, who is recruited to work in CAMHS and any changes and new plans that are made. Services improve for everyone when children and young people’s ideas are taken seriously. Participation is a way for young people to make a contribution that they can feel proud of!
Participation is a basic human right for children and young people.
Children and young people are the only ones who can describe issues from their perspective.
Participation builds children’s and young people’s self-esteem and confidence. It allows them to develop important communication skills.
Through participation, children and young people learn to cooperate with adults and other young people.
Programmes that allow children and young people to participate are often more aware of and responsive to their needs.
There are many training courses that are offered to young people and they are all AQA accredited therefore recognised by higher education providers.
Kevin, from an Action for Children Participation Group, speaks about how he and other young people have been involved in the Children and Young People's IAPT project, and why it's important.
Making our Voices Heard
Children’s and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies- CYP IAPT-
The Youth Mental Health summits are organised by the Youth Mental Health Network and aim to spread good ideas and best practice in youth mental health, acknowledging the gap in mental health service provision for young people - particularly adolescents and young adults. We aim to improve services through participation, innovation and research.
Youth Mental Health Summit You can find out more about the network by visiting www.youthmatter.co.uk.
If children and young people want to become part of the participation group, they can become Young People’s Representatives.
Young People’s Representatives have the right:
To have access and support to attend AQA accredited training courses in: passport to participation, young commissioners, young interviewers and mystery shoppers.
To a choice about when and how we want to be involved
To be trusted with real responsibility
To be able to question professionals and be given a response
To be involved from the planning stage of new work
To be given enough time to be involved in a meaningful way
To be treated with respect
To work in partnership with professionals and have our views and suggestions valued equally
Everyone can have their say, not just those with the loudest voices
Responsibilities
Young People’s Representatives agree:
• To be honest about our views
• To use our experience to help others
• To be positive and try to find solutions to problems
• To be committed to improving the service
• To join in to the best of our abilities
• To be responsible for organising ourselves
• To let people know if we can’t attend or take part
• To be respectful towards other children, young people and adults that we work with.
What kind of things do we do?
• We are involved in designing the CAMHS website
• We make short films/presentations or host events to raise awareness of mental health in young people
• We interview potential CAMHS workers
• We talk to schools to help them best support young people with mental health
Rights
All children and young people who come to CAMHS have the right:
• To be told what CAMHS is and how it can help
• To be given information that is clear and easy to understand
• To know our choices and be involved in all decisions about our treatment
• To understand the roles of people working with us
• To have confidentiality explained fully and to be consulted about how our information is shared
• To be recognised as an individual
• Not to be judged
• To information about advocacy services
• To information about Participation so we can choose whether to get involved