Healthy Young Minds Matter – come and have your say
11.05.2009
NHS Gloucestershire is set to improve services and support for children and young people with emotional and mental health needs and has arranged two listening events for parents, carers and other interested people to have their say.
The two events are as follows:
Thursday 21 May 2009: Nature in Art, Twigworth, Gloucester (6.30pm-8pm)
Wednesday 27 May 2009, Holiday Inn, Barnwood, Gloucester (6.30pm – 8pm).
NHS Gloucestershire, with the support of Gloucestershire County Council and the Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership, wants to make services provided by the health service, schools and social care more joined up.
The aim is to develop services to identify an individual’s needs and respond earlier before they become more serious and complicated.
There is also a need to develop alternatives to inpatient hospital care for some children and young people who could be better supported closer to where they live.
Chief Executive of NHS Gloucestershire, Jan Stubbings said:
“We are determined that local children and young people have access to the very best services in the future. This is not about making financial savings, but it is about making best use of NHS funding.”
“We will be looking to keep the good things about the services that we have now and further develop services that will help children and young people to remain at home or return home more quickly if they need a hospital stay.”
“We recognise that there are a lot of people across the county who will want to have a say and this includes parents and carers. We would really value their input to make sure we get the services that the people of Gloucestershire want to see.”
NHS Gloucestershire, working in partnership with the County Council, has a comprehensive programme of involvement in place to capture the views of children and young people, parents and carers, schools and staff involved in the current services.
This includes a series of listening events, small discussion groups, telephone interviews and visits to local forums. An on-line questionnaire will also be available on the NHS Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire County Council websites during June 2009.
The views and information gathered will help NHS Gloucestershire to develop a description of the services that it wants to see in the county.
It will then ask the organisations interested in providing these services to submit their plans and make a decision on the provider or group of providers who will deliver these services from 2011 onwards.
All current providers will be invited to submit their plans as well as any new providers who may be interested.
If you would like to attend one of the involvement events, or would like a member of the project team to meet with your organisation/community group please contact NHS Gloucestershire on 08454 221817 or email: sue.baker@glos.nhs.uk
