Humber, Coast and Vale health and care partners unite to further support vulnerable children and young people with their emotional wellbeing

Children and young people with complex needs across Humber, Coast and Vale will benefit from enhanced services following the successful award of funding over the next three years to provide additional services for children and young people with high risk and high vulnerability.

The Youth Justice Framework for Integrated Care aims to build trauma-informed care and an evidence-based, whole system approach to providing integrated support for some of the most vulnerable children and young people aged up to 18.

The long-term aim is to create change, by helping more young people lead a full life, away from the criminal justice system they may otherwise find themselves in.

The expression of interest involved partners from across Humber, Coast and Vale working together to develop a detailed plan to enhance the provision of services. Commencing early next year, this group will continue to mobilise and oversee this project over the next three years.

Partners include representatives from the local councils, NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), local mental health providers and youth justice partners across Humber, Coast and Vale – an area which includes Hull, East Yorkshire, York, North Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire, and North East Lincolnshire.

It also involves voluntary community sector representatives The Warren, Cornerhouse, North Yorkshire Youth and Hull and East Yorkshire Mind.

Michele Moran, Senior Responsible Officer, Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership’s Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Collaborative Programme; and Chief Executive at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It is excellent to see such an important piece of work being supported by NHS England and NHS Improvement. We are looking forward to working together to provide additional support, which will positively impact many vulnerable young people living in our communities.”

Angela Ward, Head of Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services and Adult Eating Disorder Commissioning, Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership’s Mental Health Provider Collaborative, said: “We are delighted to have been successful with this expression of interest. The funding will enable us to train multi-agency staff to help them have a greater understanding of how trauma in a young person’s life can affect their wellbeing, as well as developing greater strategies to help young people improve their quality of life and prevent them entering the youth justice system where possible."

Funding associated with this bid will enable the Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership (Integrated Care System) to establish a new partnership called the Youth and Justice Integrated Partnership. This partnership will be responsible for ensuring the plan associated with this bid is implemented successfully.

This bid is made possible as part of the NHS Long Term Plan, which makes a commitment to invest in additional support for young people with complex needs, who can be described as presenting with high-risk, high-harm behaviours and high vulnerability.

The approved framework is a direct response to this commitment, as funding will allow these teams to provide additional support and strengthen community services for children and young people, whose complex needs are currently not being met, and who may, as a result, go through the criminal justice system.