Children and Young People

Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust are committed to providing high quality mental health services for children and young people. We work intensively, creatively and collaboratively with children, young people and their families/carers, using the underlying principles of recovery and resilience, and making the best use of the full range of skills, knowledge and experience within the multi-disciplinary teams.  The overall goal of our service is to enable children and young people to achieve a fulfilling, meaningful life, and a positive sense of belonging in their community. 

CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) provides services for all children and young people with a wide range of complex mental health needs, who are living in Somerset.  

We are committed to a multi-disciplinary model of service – one of the acknowledged strengths of this model is the opportunity to share knowledge, skills, and different professional perspectives to enhance and enrich the quality of the service as a whole. 

Our work with young people, their families and their friends focuses on maximising social, vocational and educational opportunities.  This entails working positively and collaboratively with other agencies, within the concept of “the team around the child”, as CAMHS cannot work effectively if working in isolation. Our work is based on recovery and resilience principles.   If another professional or agency is already working with the young person or their family, they may sometimes (if it is appropriate) join us in working jointly with the family.  Our role is also to offer consultation and advice to other organisations about young people who are having some difficulties but do not need to be referred to our service, a function normally provided by the Primary Mental Health Linkworkers.

Based on recovery and resilience principles, a jointly agreed care plan will be based on a holistic and ongoing assessment of health and social care needs, uses a psychological formulation to understand a child/young person’s needs.

The following interventions may be included in a Recovery Care Plan:

• A wide range of therapeutic models are used within CAMHS including cognitive behavioural therapy, behavioural therapy, cognitive analytic therapy, family therapy, systemic therapy and art and creative therapy.  Other therapeutic models may be drawn from as appropriate.

• Medical input including psycho/pharmacological advice, Prescribing, medication compliance, detailed diagnostic assessments and other interventions

• Assessment and intervention regarding any social care needs, including Safeguarding issues in liaison with Children’s Social Care.

How to Access the Service

Referrals can be made by GPs, paediatricians, educational psychologists, Children’s Social Care, Youth Offending Team, and Local Service Teams.  As a secondary care service, all children and young people will need to be referred by one of the above agencies. 

Referrals will usually be in the form of a letter but in emergencies or very urgent situations, contact the team covering the geographical area.