Agenda item

A.1 - Report of the Assistant Director (Sport, Culture and Health) - Coastal Communities Unit

To highlight the mental health services available for children and young people. To be able to make recommendations around actions and activities that may have a beneficial impact on health inequalities locally.

Minutes:

It was reported that levels of poor mental health amongst children in Tendring had been some of the worst in Essex. The National Mental Health of Children and Young People survey had highlighted that 9.5% of primary age school children had at least one mental health disorder. The most common types being behavioural (5%) and emotional (4.1%).

 

In addition, Tendring had the highest prevalence of mental health disorders in children in Essex at 9.8% of the population aged 5-16.

 

In more general terms, the survey had highlighted that nationally in 2023 1 in 5 young persons between 8 and 25 had a probable mental disorder and although in 8 to 16-year-olds the rates were similar for boys and girls, within the 17 to 25 age range the rates were twice as high for young women as young men.

 

The national data had also highlighted that in 8 to 16-year-olds 1 in 4 children with a probable mental disorder had a parent who could not afford for them to take part in outside school activities compared with 1 in 10 for those unlikely to have a mental disorder.

 

Similarly, in 17 to 25-year-olds, those with a probable mental disorder were three times more likely to not be able to take part in activities such as days out or socialising compared with those unlikely to have a mental disorder.

 

Although the contact rates with mental health services for 0 to 18-year-olds had been lower than the England average (based on 2021 data), North East Essex had the highest rate in Essex at 217.4 per 10,000 people. This was also the case for open referrals for those under 19 (202 per 10,000).

 

It was concerning that Tendring had one of the worst suicide rates in Essex and although this referred to all age suicides, this had also been inclusive of those who were at most risk of self-harming (which it had been suggested heightened the risk of suicide) and young people, care leavers and ‘looked after’ children.

 

The Committee was informed that the King’s Fund had identified in 2024 that, although more children were accessing mental health services, the current level of expansion had not met demand.  They had also identified that there was a gap in support for those children who needed greater support in an educational setting but did not receive specialist mental health treatment.

 

The Care Quality Commission had reported that there had been an increasing number of children needing support to access care who had been using Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and up to a third of those having accessed the service did not know who to contact in a crisis. 

 

Since 2015, it was recognised that the prevalence of children with social, emotional and mental health needs had increased rapidly with the Covid-19 pandemic having had a particular impact where it had been reported nationally that 80% of young people with pre-existing mental health needs had experienced exacerbated or new issues. This had been particularly the case in older girls, under 18s and those due to sit exams.

 

Members were reminded that this Council’s emerging Health and Wellbeing Strategy had highlighted some of the actions the Council had taken to seek to address some of those issues.  For example, the Wellbeing Hubs in Primary Schools (which covered 30 schools across North East Essex) sought to help children with emerging difficulties who did not meet the threshold for statutory services.  The hubs helped develop resilience, empower children and build self-esteem.

 

In addition, work had been undertaken to assist families most in need via Family Solutions and a housing and benefits officer working in the Children’s Social Care multi-disciplinary team which helped provide stability for families.

 

 

 

The Council’s emerging Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which had been closely aligned with our partners such as the North East Essex Health and Wellbeing Alliance, also sought to deliver a wider determinants approach which acknowledged the importance of addressing the key causes of poor health.

 

An approach which highlighted how this Council supported issues such as housing, social isolation, opportunity and physical activity would all help address those issues which led to poor mental health in families and children. Those services both statutory and voluntary included:-

 

“Southend, Essex and Thurrock Children’s and Adolescent’s Mental Health Service (SET CAMHS) is an NHS service which provides diagnosis, therapy and crisis support for young people up to age 18.

  • SET CAMHS - Hubs - North | NELFT NHS Foundation Trust 
  • Self or professional referral: 0800 953 0222

 

Essex Child & Family Wellbeing Service helps families access local health services in the community and supports with school/community wellbeing and early screening for young people up to age 19 and SEND young people up to age 25.

  • Essex Child and Family Wellbeing Service | Essex County Council
  • Via Family Hubs: 0300 247 0015

 

Youth Enquiry Service (YES) support young people age 11-25 with counselling, wellbeing, housing and teen parent support.

  • YES | Youth Enquiry Service | Supporting Young People
  • Appointment via: 01255 434 601

 

Tendring Wellbeing and Intervention Services (TWIS) CIC provide therapy, workshops, mindfulness and neurodiverse support for children & families.

  • Tendring Wellbeing & Intervention Services
  • Contact via: 01255 754027

Inspire offer virtual and face-to-face support and counselling to young people age 10-25 in Suffolk and North Essex.

 

Teen Talk Harwich provides counselling and support for young people age 11-25 year old and their families living in Tendring.

Therapy for You is the local provider for NHS talking therapies. They will accept referrals for young people from age 16 and offer therapy but do not diagnose other than to guide treatment.

 

The Ark Centre Counselling Services have an Accredited Counsellor based at The Ark offering sessions at a reduced rate from the age of 6 years upwards.

  • Counselling – The Ark Centre
  • 01255 502063

 

Reach out for Mental Health provide up to 12 weeks of free counselling to those who have suicidal thoughts.

 

Colchester Institute Counselling Service offer low cost and remote counselling.

  • Counselling Service at Colchester Institute - Colchester Institute
  • 01206 712 000

 

Essex Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Services (EYPDSA) offers support to under 25’s affected by substance misuse through 1:1, group work, telephone and virtual support.

 

Community Voluntary Services Tendring (CVST) supports, promotes and develops the voluntary and community sector across the Tendring district. They offer social prescribing, a befriending service, volunteering opportunities and community group support.

 

Community360 supports the voluntary and community sector in Colchester and offers services such as community transport, wellbeing initiatives, fundraising support, and strategic development for local organisations.

 

Next Chapter support young people affected by domestic violence to explore their feelings and help them understand what they have been through, know they are not to blame, help them to stay safe and let them know where they can turn if they need more help.

 

Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse (CARA) work with victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse, providing independent, specialist support and promoting and representing their rights and needs.

 

Essex Young Carers Services support children and young people under 18 years old who provide regular and on-going care to another person who is physically or mentally ill, disabled or misuses substances.

  • Young Carers
  • 03330 322800

 

Extra Support for Families provide support for families (EXTRA) to help anyone caring for children in the Tendring district to meet the challenges of parenting. They offer local opportunities for parents/carers to meet at fun child/parent workshops, informal parent peer support groups and a range of parenting programmes.

  • Extra Support for Families | Welcome to Extra Support for Families
  • 01255 475001

 

Home Start provide direct support through their local Home-Start network – families are introduced and matched to an available volunteer.  Home-Start’s volunteers’ work

alongside families to give compassionate and confidential support. Children from 5-11 years.

  • Home-Start Colchester, Jaywick and Clacton | Home-Start UK
  • 01206 854625

 

The Children’s Society work with children, young people and adults aged 8-24 who are at a medium/high risk of criminal or sexual exploitation, or those that are actively being

exploited. Support areas include child sexual exploitation, children's rights and advocacy, county lines and criminal exploitation, mental health and wellbeing, missing from home, poverty, refugees and migrants, substance misuse, young carers. They offer 1:1 therapeutic sessions, targeted group work sessions and specialist sexual violence counselling.

 

Invisible Lives  - Barnardo’s. The Invisible Lives Challenging Behaviour and Attitude

(CBA) service provides a whole family approach to support children (aged 8-19 years) and their families when there has been an adverse change in the child’s behaviour which may result in risk taking behaviours and/or lead to potential offending.

 

Other resources

 

Self-harm and suicide

 

 

Coping Skills

 

Gender Identity

https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-a-z-mental-health-guide/gender-identity/

The Outhouse charity provides opportunities and promoting equality for LGBTQ+ people in Essex. Provides a vast programme of services including social events, support groups, training and more.

Tel: 01206 871394 | Email: info@theouthouse.org.uk | Web: www.theouthouse.org.uk

 

LGBT+ Switchboard – An LGBT+ helpline, providing a safe space (via phone, email and webchat) to discuss anything including sexuality, gender identity, sexual health and

emotional wellbeing

Tel: 0300 330 0630 | Email: chris@switchboard.lgbt | Web: www.switchboard.lgbt

 

Stonewall’s Information Service – An LGBTQ+ information service supporting LGBTQ+ individuals and their families with problems, questions and requests for support. The service aims to do what they can to help or will signpost to someone who can.

Tel: 0800 050 20 20 | Email: info@stonewall.org.uk | Web: www.stonewall.org.uk/help-advice/contact-stonewalls-information-service

 

FFLAG – A national voluntary organisation and registered charity dedicated to supporting parents and families and their LGBT+ members. FFLAG provide a central point for exchange of information between parents’ groups and local parent contacts. The FFLAG website includes numerous downloadable resources.

Tel: 0300 688 0368 | Email: support@fflag.org.uk | Web: www.fflag.org.uk

 

London Friend – The UK’s oldest LGBT+ charity, offering support around same-sex

relationships, sexual and gender identity and promoting personal growth and self-

confidence. London Friend offers a range of in-person and online groups to meet with other LGBT+ people in a safe and supportive environment.

Tel: 02078 331674 | Email: office@londonfriend.org.uk | Web: www.londonfriend.org.uk

 

GIRES (Gender Identity Research and Education Society) https://www.gires.org.uk/

 

 

Useful apps

Kooth - https://www.kooth.com/

Calm app - https://www.calm.com/”

 

Questions:

Answers:

You mentioned that [a local headteacher had commented] “Parents didn't have much aspiration for their children", should that be a piece of work that should be undertaken as a priority?

(Mike Carran) This is not necessarily something the Council would lead on, but I am aware of a multitude of community work done by primary schools around the District. A lot of the work that the Council undertakes is centred around bringing young people together.

Have we looked at the free running trails?

(Mike Carran) This is part of the regeneration project, there is a way to go but currently there is potential to include it as part of this instructor led project, and there have been some programmes at the sports facilities that we manage that have been extremely popular.

Do our future partners know the particular issues in our District? How do we ensure they are prioritised?

(Mike Carran) Work has started with our partners in Braintree and Colchester. They also use the health alliance as a backdrop to their work and face some of the same challenges as Tendring.

 

 

It was moved by Councillor Ferguson, seconded by Councillor Griffiths and RESOLVED that the Committee:-

 

(a)   thanks the various contributors to the meeting from the local health providers and University of Essex and  notes the research findings that nationally, those young people living in deprived Coastal Communities are significantly more prone to poor mental health and less likely to have that diagnosed when compared with the position of young people in  inland communities and therefore urges that this evidenced need is flagged with this Council’s partners as  progress occurs over the coming years to local government reorganisation;

 

(b)   urges the Portfolio for Partnerships to take up the following policy recommendations from the University of Essex’s Coastal Communities Centre research into Coastal Disadvantage and Youth Mental Health as part of the strategic approach to Health and Wellbeing locally:

·        Develop a long-term strategy to increase diagnosis of mental health conditions and reduce the development of poor mental in children and adolescence.

·        Create local targets to improve mental health for young people in line with the national average, as part of their annual planning exercise.

·        Invest in delivery of interventions to support the mental health of coastal young adults in the most deprived areas of the England. This should include facilitating access to services with a focus on the most at-risk groups (e.g. how can services be brought closer to coastal young adults).

·        Fund longer-term investments in deprived coastal communities to tackle the drivers of poor mental health. This includes improving opportunities for education, employment, housing and social connection with improved public transport essential for all of these.

 

(c)   requests Officers to work with the Council’s partners to promote measures to encourage greater aspiration for young people, including among their parents, and thereby address the continuing inter-generational low aspirations.

 

Supporting documents: