Written question WQ85136

Following extensive consultation, the Welsh Government has published new guidance to improve the care young people receive during their transition from children and adolescent mental health services to adult services. This covers the time before, during and after they move. It aims to ensure young people and their carers have a better experience of transition by improving the way care is planned and carried out. The new guidance can be accessed here.

Our expectation is that young people are fully involved in the way the transition and the handover of care between children’s and adult services is planned, implemented and reviewed. Planning for transition should start when a young person is 13 or 14 and it is important care is provided in a developmentally appropriate, patient-centred, ensuring on-going engagement and a good patient experience.

All NHS organisations must have a clear accountability and delivery mechanism in place, which includes the identification and designation of a transition and handover senior lead. This individual will have accountability for ensuring implementation and quality of the transition and handover guidance across all primary, community, secondary and specialist (tertiary) services provided by their organisation.

All individuals going through this process should have a Young Person’s Transition Passport and NHS organisations must also identify and appoint a transition and handover worker to support the transition for each one. They work with the young person to help put together their Transitions Passport and Plan. The plan will follow on from their sCAMHS Care and Treatment Plan and will be led by the young person. During transition the information in the passport helps to inform a young person’s new AMHS care and treatment pathway.

To improve transitions in mental health services, the Welsh Government is currently undertaking a consultation and delivery of a small number of face to face and virtual workshops with young people across Wales who have experienced, or are experiencing transition from children’s to adult mental health services. This work recognises that the transition will be different for each individual and feedback from service users is key to improve support.