Online counselling and wellbeing support for young people in Hillingdon

The service delivers interventions for young people with low level mental health issues. The service is for Ages 11-25 and is 24HR web-based providing Online counselling support service and a text-based service with qualified counsellors.

The aims and objectives of the service are: • To help children and young people with mental health problems improve their outcomes at the earliest opportunity before these problems escalate • To provide age appropriate information and advice/signposting • To deliver measurable improvements in the emotional and mental health of children and young people • To provide fast, easy and free access to online counselling for children and young people at time suited to children and young people • To provide direct counselling support to assist the recovery of children and young people with emotional or mental health concerns preventing where relevant referral into CAMHS • To provide support to children that are assessed by CNWL and awaiting treatment through an agreed working protocol • To support service users with more complex mental health concerns by making appropriate referrals to CAMHS when required • To demonstrate that children and young people are satisfied with the care and support they receive from the service • To demonstrate Best Value service delivery • To offer immediate support to service users from point of registration with no waiting for an intervention thus helping to prevent the escalation of concerns • To reduce the stigma associated with physically accessing a mental health service by offering support online. • To promote and improve integrated partnership and collaborative care across agencies, to reduce the demand on specialist children's services, particularly CAMHS and social care • To improve the knowledge and capacity of schools to identify and address emotional wellbeing and mental health problems through good engagement and promoting a whole-school approach

Additional information: An existing contract is being modified to effect a 2 months extension to allow the future model of care to be considered by commissioners. This contract modification is assessed to be proportionate and lawful under Regulation 72(1)(b)

The Contract is for NHS Hillingdon CCG and NHS Harrow CCG as associate commissioner under the North West London Collaboration of Clinical Commissioning Groups.