Gloucestershire Health and Care NHSFT – Children and Young People Service (CAMHS)

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHSFT – Children and Young People Service (CAMHS) is a specialist emotional wellbeing and mental health service for all children and young people who are registered with a GP in Gloucestershire. CAMHS sees children and young people up to 18 years of age when they find it hard to cope with their feelings, and helps with other problems such as developmental disorders, eating disorders, bipolar disorders, psychosis, attachment difficulties, infant mental health problems, conduct disorders or when a young person is at risk of harming themselves. The service aims to improve the emotional wellbeing of all children and young people in Gloucestershire by providing early intervention and utilising a stepped care approach. Interventions include behavioural support work, working with families, parenting programmes, assessment of conditions for the purpose of providing a diagnosis, use of pharmacological therapy and talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy. The service is based on an episodic model of care, which is considered within the individual clinician’s supervision framework. The Service includes a specialist learning disability team, consisting of specialist learning disability nurses with access to other professions as required. There is also a specialist psychologist who leads the assessment and diagnosis of autistic spectrum conditions in primary aged children, working with other health providers. Children with special educational needs may receive specialist services from these professionals, or may receive a service from other workers within the generic teams if they have lower intensity needs. CAMHS offers targeted support within its Primary Mental Health Team, working mainly in an advice and consultation capacity with partner agencies, and offers specialist services via Level 3 and Vulnerable Children’s Services.