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Hearing Children and Young People’s Voices in Mental Health Care
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PEN’s Children and Young People’s Advisory Group share their views on mental health with the Care Quality Commission (CQC)
Our Children and Young People’s Advisory Group for 12- to 25-year-olds works with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to help us understand how children and young people experience healthcare in England.
The group is run by Ellen, PEN’s Community Engagement Officer for the South of England. Ellen has a background in teaching and working on wellness programs. Kate Cromey, the CQC’s Senior Specialist (Mental Health), also regularly attends Advisory Group meetings.
Group members have joined via national charities, local youth councils and youth hospital forums, though all young people with experience of using health services are welcome to join.
Young People and Mental Health
We gathered invaluable insight into young people’s experiences and views on mental health care at the Advisory Group’s meeting this month.
Young people asked questions of their choice to Ellen, Kate and other group members. They shared the need for parents to be educated in mental health as it was widely felt that children and young people are being made responsible for mental health awareness currently.
They highlighted that stigma and a lack of understanding of mental health issues are still prevalent, and that mental health awareness needs to be improved in educational, GP and work settings.
The group discussed access to care. They highlighted that alternative care options to talking therapies were required for some people with mental health needs and said that young people in remote communities may struggle to access mental health services. They recommended online or phone app services availability for young people with mental health needs. Jargon can also be exclusionary in mental health services, they said.
Kate from the CQC said that mental health services should be appropriate and accessible and that they should be viewed in the same way as physical health services.
CQC’s Strategy
The group discuss access to health services for young people and children, and what working for the CQC involves. Group members are also contributing to the CQC’s new strategy for working with and supporting children and young people.
“By actively seeking and valuing the feedback from children and young people about what matters most to them when they access healthcare services, the CQC is demonstrating a commitment to listening to lived experience and placing children and young people at the centre of our strategy.
Asking them how they believe they could help improve services if they were a CQC inspector not only empowers them as partners in improvement, but also provides unique insights that adults may overlook. This approach strengthens the relevance, credibility and impact of the strategy, helping to build services that better meet children and young people’s needs now and in the future.” - Kate Cromey, the CQC’s Senior Specialist (Mental Health)
By actively seeking and valuing the feedback from children and young people about what matters most to them when they access healthcare services, the CQC is demonstrating a commitment to listening to lived experience and placing children and young people at the centre of our strategy. Kate Cromey, the CQC’s Senior Specialist (Mental Health)
PEN Children and Young People's Advisory Group
Our group for 12 - 25 year olds works with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to help us understand how children and young people experience healthcare in England.
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