The Mental Health of Children and Young People: A Framework for Promotion, Prevention and Care

6. Community-based activity

Context

6.1 Local authority community learning and development workers (including youth workers), and those in the voluntary sector who work with young people, including volunteers, have an important role in promoting and supporting the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children and young people. General community capacity building work and adult learning provide valuable opportunities for those working and living with children and young people to develop a better understanding of what good mental health is, and how it might be improved in their own communities. Voluntary organisations, in particular, have a key role in linking with and providing services to children, young people, their parents and carers within the community and increasingly provide community-based resources such as before- and after-school groups, arts and crafts and sporting activities and specialist day and residential care.

6.2 All those involved in the youth work sector, whether from a community learning and development, or voluntary sector background, are an important resource for children and young people. They have the potential to provide safe places for young people to talk over difficulties and to enable them to become involved in community activities. Activities related to Walk the Talk⁷² also provide a platform on which to build work for children's and young people's mental health.

6.3 This should be recognised within community planning and children's services planning contexts.

Overarching philosophy and culture

6.4 The Step It Up⁷³ materials, commissioned by the Scottish Executive in 2001, describe the purpose of youth work as:

Building self-esteem and self confidence
Developing the ability to manage personal and social relationships
Creating learning and developing new skills
Encouraging positive group atmospheres
Building the capacity of young people to consider risk, make reasoned decisions and take control
Developing a "world view" which widens horizons and invites social commitment

6.5 Effective youth work, as described in the Step It Up materials:

Respects the rights of young people
Affirms the worth of individual young people and the communities they belong to
Affirms diversity and confronts discrimination
Is young people centred
Takes an inclusive approach which recognises that those young people with most needs should have greater priority
Recognises that "process" is of crucial and central value - but also that product and programme have an important part to play
Values implicit learning as much as that which is explicit
Is based on the relationship between a young person or a group of young people and a trusted adult
Is non-judgemental
Is participative and empowering and allows young people wherever possible to play a full part in shaping the activity
Is concerned with enabling young people to change, in a positive way, the world in which they live

Service elements and activities

* In the "Lead Partners" column, 2-3 partners are identified, with the suggested lead partner highlighted in bold. This is indicative only, and there is a much wider network of partners who should be consulted as appropriate. These are listed in Annex 1. The involvement of children, young people, parents and carers is assumed.

Service Elements	Activity	Outcomes	*lead Partners see above**
Involvement of children, young people, parents and carers in developing information, resources and services to support mental health and wellbeing	Work with youth and community initiatives to ask children and young people for their views on what would be helpful for their emotional and mental health and wellbeing. Involvement of children, young people and their parents/carers in developing (and possibly delivering) support systems and resources within youth and community initiatives. NHSCAMHS to take into account views from existing involvement and participation networks ( e.g. local participation strategies, youth councils, fora and consultations). Work with youth and community initiatives to ask parents and carers for their views on the skills/needs of children and young people in terms of mental health and wellbeing. Development of stigma reduction programmes, linked with the see me⁷⁴ campaign. Work with youth and community initiatives to seek views on experiences of and ways to tackle stigma associated with mental health problems. Identification of specific groups and systematic efforts to seek their views through, e.g. focus groups/interviews/ surveys. Mechanisms through youth and community initiatives to seek views on specific interventions. Seek feedback from children and young people receiving care and treatment on their experiences. Consider and support opportunities to participate in volunteering.	Children, young people, parents and carers feel that their views are valued. The development of resources, services and approaches to promote and support mental health are informed by the views of children, young people and their parents/carers.	Health promotion staff Community learning & development partnerships Voluntary youth work sector
Involvement of children, young people, parents and carers in research	Developing children's and young people's skills in planning and carrying out research projects, managed/commissioned by agencies and undertaken by young people, with professional support.	Research reflects the needs/interests of children and young people, their parents and carers.	Health promotion staff Community learning & development partnerships Voluntary youth work sector
Provision of training and consultation for community learning and development workers, those engaged in voluntary sector youth work, social workers and housing staff	NHSCAMHS staff plan and provide training opportunities in mental health for community learning and development workers and those engaged in voluntary sector youth work, including the impact on mental health of child protection issues. NHSCAMHS staff provide ongoing consultation and advice to community learning and development workers and those engaged in voluntary sector youth work.	Community learning and development workers and those engaged in voluntary sector youth work have a basic understanding of emotional and mental health and development. Community learning and development workers and those engaged in voluntary sector youth work recognise the importance of their contribution to children's mental and emotional wellbeing. Community learning and development workers and those engaged in voluntary sector youth work have a basic understanding of protective factors and how these can be nurtured. Community learning and development workers and those engaged in voluntary sector youth work recognise the role that physical activity has in supporting and developing mental health. Community learning and development workers and those engaged in voluntary sector youth work understand and are able to identify risk factors. Community learning and development workers and those engaged in voluntary sector youth work know what specialist advice and support is available to them and how to access it. Referral protocols and pathways for NHSCAMHS are agreed and transparent.	Community learning & development partnerships Voluntary youth work sector NHSCAMHS staff (inc. Primary Mental Health Workers) CPD Co-ordinators
Provision of training on specific issues ( e.g. aggressive behaviour, self-harm, ADHD, learning disability, mental health aspects of child protection issues) for community learning and development workers and those engaged in voluntary sector youth work	NHSCAMHS staff plan and provide topic-specific training opportunities for community learning and development workers and those engaged in voluntary sector youth work.	Community learning and development workers and those engaged in voluntary sector youth work understand the behaviour of children and young people and feel confident in responding and dealing with it.	Community learning & development partnerships Voluntary youth work sector Psychologists NHSCAMHS staff (inc. Primary Mental Health Workers) CPD Co-ordinators
Provision of support for youth and community initiatives in developing opportunities for young people to explore emotional and mental health issues	Build on Choose Life ⁷⁵ initiatives already established. Provision of more intensive support to those children and young people who are identified as being likely to develop problems in the future. CAMHS staff ensure that children and young people receiving mental health care and treatment are enabled to access mainstream activities which promote emotional literacy.	Children and young people feel comfortable talking about their feelings and emotions. Those engaged in youth and community work feel confident to introduce emotional literacy activities.	Mental health promotion staff Community learning & development partnerships Voluntary youth work sector NHSCAMHS staff (inc. Primary Mental Health Workers)
Provision of support for youth and community initiatives in developing and delivering activities to promote peer support	Build on Choose Life initiatives already established.	Children and young people feel confident in supporting their friends. Children and young people at risk are supported by their peers. Children and young people experiencing problems are supported by their peers.	Health promotion staff Community learning & development partnerships Voluntary youth work sector Community health projects
Provision of support for youth and community initiatives in tackling bullying	Involvement in the development and implementation of proactive anti-bullying policies. Provision of advice and support in the establishment of buddy/peer support systems. Links established with the Scottish Anti-Bullying Network by those working on the responses to bullying.	Bullied young people feel able to come forward for help. Those being bullied are supported. Help is provided for those bullying to address their behaviour and the reasons for it.	Health promotion staff Community learning & development partnerships Voluntary youth work sector Community safety partnerships
Provision of information about local support services and access, including internet resources	Development of accessible information resources on a wide range of general mental health issues, for use within youth and community settings. Development of targeted information resources on a wide range of specific issues. Ensure the availability of information resources in a range of formats and in a range of settings.	Children and young people know what information and support is available to them and are able to access it.	Health promotion staff Community learning & development partnerships Voluntary youth work sector Community health projects
Provision of confidential, accessible and non-stigmatising counselling support for community learning and development workers, those engaged in voluntary sector youth work, and for young people	Work with youth and community initiatives to plan and provide non-stigmatising and accessible counselling support for community learning and development workers, those engaged in voluntary sector youth work, and for young people, including those receiving care and treatment for mental illness. Counsellors discuss recurring themes with youth and community initiatives, recommending any action to address issues within the control of the initiative.	Workers and young people have opportunities to talk in confidence when they are feeling troubled. Children and young people receiving treatment and care for mental illness are able to access the counselling service. Common issues are identified and efforts made to prevent recurrence.	NHS Primary Care team Community learning & development partnerships Voluntary youth work sector
Provision of group support sessions on particular issues or at particular times of stress	CAMHS input to group sessions as part of the regular activity of youth and community initiatives (preferably peer-led).	Young people understand their emotions. Young people have opportunities to discuss their emotions. Young people develop coping techniques. Young people feel able to support one another.	Community learning & development partnerships Voluntary youth work sector NHSCAMHS staff (inc. Primary Mental Health Workers)
Provision of support for parents in dealing with issues relating to adolescence	Work with youth and community initiatives to plan and provide sessions for parents on a range of topics such as maintaining relationships. Work with youth and community initiatives to plan and provide sessions for parents and others who care for children and young people who may be at risk of developing mental health difficulties.	Parents/carers understand the emotional changes that their child is experiencing. Parents/carers understand their child's behaviour and feel able to respond.	Community learning & development partnerships Voluntary youth work sector NHSCAMHS staff (inc. Primary Mental Health Workers)

Page updated: Friday, October 21, 2005

Scottish Government