JERSEY’S Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service sees a higher proportion of those referred for support than the UK average, according to the organisation’s annual report, published today.
Data collected from a report benchmarking the Island service shows that the number of referrals per 100,000 people aged 17 and below is broadly comparable with the UK rate. But an average of 96% of those referrals – based on 2022 figures – are seen, compared with 78% across the UK as a whole.
Taking 127 submission from 80 mental-health providers, figures show that Jersey’s 4,980 per 100,000 corresponds almost exactly with the UK average. However, the annual report continues: “[The figure of 96% of referrals] should be seen as a positive in that in Jersey nearly all children/young people referred receive support, [whereas] thresholds of access in UK services appear higher.
“The impact of this higher acceptance rate is that Jersey CAMHS have a much higher caseload than UK services, alongside the fact young people are given a longer duration of support.”
The annual report emphasises the continuing increase in demand for CAMHS’ services.
There were 1,351 referrals in 2023, double the number three years earlier in 2020, but waiting times for non-urgent referrals continue to be within its 36-day target.
In the report’s introduction, associate director of mental health and wellbeing at CYPES Darren Bowring accepts that the significant increase in requests for neuro-developmental assessments – 489 referrals for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder compared to 51 in 2020, and 310 autism assessment referrals compared to 80 in 2020 – created pressures.
“Due to the significant increase in neuro-developmental referrals, assessments were completed on average within nine months; not as quick as we would like, but significantly better than the majority of UK local authorities who all saw similar large increases in referrals,” he writes.
During the course of 2023, 18 of the 32 recommendations of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General were implemented, to add to the 12 introduced in 2022, leaving only the opening of the new Clinique Pinel building to replace Orchard House and updates to the memorandum of understanding between Health and CYPES outstanding.
The report also records the increase in staff at CAMHS and successful recruitment to a number of key posts, including seven clinical psychologists.
Following the report’s publication, Children and Families Minister Richard Vibert said: “As an island community we must remain committed to ensure that Jersey’s children and young people are happy, thriving and able to enjoy the best mental health and wellbeing.”
He said he welcomed the efforts of the CAMHS service to continue to strive for improvement.”
