Transitions from Children & Young People’s s to Adults MH Services

Reference: 25-26313

Date response sent: 06/11/2025

Details of enquiry

1. Does your Trust have a policy on Transition between children and adult mental health services? Could you please share a copy of the policy or include a link if it is available online.
2. Does your Trust offer 0 to 25 pathway for mental health support and if it does, who is it offered to past the age of 18 (eg. all young people or specific groups/conditions)?
3. What are the mental health care pathways for those under the age of 18 and 18+ within your Trust. Please provide the list for both of these age groups?
4. Please provide information in the table below on the total number of 17 year olds with an active referral to community children’s mental health services and the number of 17 year olds who accessed treatment (treatment means 2 or more contacts with services) within your Trust’s community children and young people mental health services in the following periods of time a) 1 April 2021- to 31 March 2022 b) 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 c) 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 d) 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
5. Of the 17 year olds who accessed treatment (treatment means 2 or more contacts with services) within your Trust’s community children and young people mental health services how many were: discharged back to GP; recorded as completed treatment; referred to adult mental health services; and continued treatment with children mental health services upon reaching the age of 18 in the following periods of time: 1 April 2021- to 31 March 2022 b) 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 c) 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 d) 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. Please provide information in the table below.
6. Please provide information in the table below on the total number of 18 year olds with active referral to community adults mental health services within your trust in the following periods of time a) 1 April 2021- to 31 March 2022 b) 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 c) 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 d) 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025

7. How many of young people age 18 with active referral to community adults mental health services within your trust had referral source recorded as ‘children and young people mental health services’ in the following periods of time a) 1 April 2021- to 31 March 2022 b) 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 c) 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 d) 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. Please provide information in the table below
8. Of young people age 18 who had active referral to adult mental health services within your Trust by referral source ‘children and young people mental health services’ how many accessed treatment (2 or more contacts with services) within community adult mental health services in your trust in the following periods of time a) 1 April 2021- to 31 March 2022 b) 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 c) 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 d) 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025:
9. For young people age 18 who accessed treatment from adult mental health services within your Trust and whose referral source was ‘children and young people mental health services’ what was the median wait in days; the longest wait in days; and the shortest wait in days from referral to second contact in the following periods of time a) 1 April 2021- to 31 March 2022 b) 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 c) 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 d) 1 April 2024 to 31 March 20
10. Does your trust record information on the sources of referrals to children and young people mental health services and adult mental health services? If yes, what are the sources of referrals listed in both cases.

Response sent

1. Does your Trust have a policy on Transition between children and adult mental health services? Could you please share a copy of the policy or include a link if it is available online.

a. Within the (non-Camden areas) across North Central London, our Children & Family Unit services for Children and Young People (CYP) do not have a dedicated protocol due to the  complexity of working different commissioning boroughs, which have slightly pathways, criteria and thresholds and equally also have slightly different treatment pathways for adults.

The way this works in practice is that Team Clinical Leads or Senior Clinicians attend and present at monthly transition panel meetings in the individual boroughs when they have a CYP nearing 18 years of age who needs post-18 support either via medication reviews or ongoing talking therapies, or both.

Our decision to plan for post-18 support is based on patient wishes and our clinical view regarding complexity of support and risk needs.

b. Within Camden we have the attached Transitions Protocol. This version is in current use within this borough.

2. Does your Trust offer 0 to 25 pathway for mental health support and if it does, who is it offered to past the age of 18 (eg. all young people or specific groups/conditions)?

The majority of our CAMHS services which offer specialist support continue to work with young people as long as they are referred before their 18th birthday.

a. We have some teams that work with Children and Young People (CYP) beyond 18 years, this includes: Early Intervention Service in Camden who will continue working with a young person for 3 years, so if referred at 17, this would continue to 20 years.

b. The Growing With You Team, work with children looked after and unaccompanied asylum seeking children from the London Borough of Camden and will work with care leavers to 25 years.

c. For other CYP who require mental health support beyond 18 years, we have the Minding the Gap Forum where CYP, with consent, are discussed with our Adult colleagues to think about where their needs are best met.  This forum is attended by Health and Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprises (VCSEs) in Camden.

d. The Adolescent and Young Adults service is a psychodynamic psychotherapy service and accepts referrals for people aged between 14-25  who struggle with any emotional or relational aspect of being an adolescent or young adult for therapeutic interventions

3. What are the mental health care pathways for those under the age of 18 and 18+ within your Trust. Please provide the list for both of these age groups?

In terms of Under 18s, we have various CAMHS teams that will work with CYP depending on their presenting need(s), this includes:

• a) North and South Camden Community CAMHS (Specialist Community CAMHS)

Offering CAMHS Assessments and evidence-based talking therapies for CYP (0-18 years), often within the Getting More Help and Risk Support Thrive contexts. Camden Community Teams offer a range of therapeutic interventions to include: Psychology, CBT, Systemic Family Therapy, Child Psychotherapy and Psychiatry.  Camden Community Teams have a multi-disciplinary team made up of Practitioner Psychologists, CBT Therapists, Nurses, Social Workers, Systemic & Family Psychotherapists, Child Psychotherapists and Psychiatrists.  Community CAMHS, Camden | Waiting Room

• b) Mental Health Support Teams (CAMHS Teams within Schools)

Typically work within Camden primary and secondary schools.  They work with CYP (0-18 years), often within the Thriving, Getting Advice & Support and Getting Help Thrive contexts.  They work closely with Camden schools in offering whole-school approaches and psychological support to school staff, alongside offering group work for CYP and Parents/Carers, they also offer individual assessment and support to CYP for mild-moderate emotional wellbeing needs.  Camden Mental Health Support Team in Schools | Waiting Room

• c) Camden Intensive Support Service (intensive support service for adolescent CYP)

The team will work closely with Camden Community Teams in supporting adolescent CYP (12-18 years) whereby there are increased emotional wellbeing and risk needs, they work intensively with CYP and families, often within the Risk Support Thrive context.  The team will support CYP’s emotional needs within the community and also support stepped down care from hospital admissions.  Camden Adolescent Intensive Support Service (CAISS) | Waiting Room

• d) Growing With You (Integrated CAMHS service working with children looked after, care experienced CYP and unaccompanied asylum seeking children [UASC], 0-25 yrs)

Co-located with Camden Local Authority, working with CYP and carers in and out of the borough placements and supported accommodation.  Offering consultation and support to carers/network, assessment and delivering evidence-based talking therapies to CYP 0-25 years.  The team work with CYP within the Getting More Help and Risk Support Thrive contexts.  Growing with You: Children Looked After (CLA), Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) and Camden Care Experienced Team | Waiting Room

• e) Whole Family Team (Integrated CAMHS service working with CYP (0-18 years) with emotional wellbeing needs and complex networks involvement)

Co-located with Camden Local Authority, working with CYP and families to support CYP’s emotional wellbeing and consulting to the network.  The team will offer assessment and individual and familial evidence-based therapies and work closely with Children’s Services and other involved systems/professionals.  The team work with CYP within the Getting More Help and Risk Support Thrive contexts.   Whole Family Team | Waiting Room

• f) Whole Family Team – Perinatal (Integrated CAMHS service working with under 5’s and parents

Co-located with Camden Local Authority and within Camden Children’s Centres and Family Hubs, offering assessment and evidence-based therapies for under 5’s and their parents.  The team delivers parenting programs/groups and offer trauma support.  The team consults with Health Visitors and systems/professionals involved in supporting under 5’s and their parents.  The team work with CYP within the Getting More Help and Risk Support Thrive contexts. Whole Family Team with Perinatal Specialism | Waiting Room

• g) Early Intervention Service (Early Intervention Psychosis Service)

The team support YP (14-18 years) that might be developing psychosis, the service will support YP up to 3 years with assessment and thereafter supporting YP and family to understand the YP’s mental health needs, what helps them stay well and what might lead to being unwell.  The team support YP in the community and try to prevent hospital admission where possible, by offering intensive community support.  The team work with CYP within the Getting More Help and Risk Support Thrive contexts.  Camden CAMHS early intervention service for psychosis – Tavistock and Portman

• h) MOSAIC (Integrated service for CYP with disabilities (0-18 years)

Joint service with Camden and Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, supporting CYP and families with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Learning Disability with all aspects of school, leisure and community activities; supporting their independence and involvement in all decisions and preparing for young adulthood.  The service provides assessment, diagnosis and therapeutic intervention from a  range of professionals from health and social care to create a ‘team around the child’.  The team work with CYP within the Getting Help and Getting More Help Thrive contexts.  Camden MOSAIC | Waiting Room

• i) The Wellbeing Team (CAMHS Team working within an early interventive context)

The team support CYP (4-18 years) and families whereby there are mild-moderate emotional wellbeing needs, including anxiety, low mood and challenging behaviour (the latter is focused for 4-11 years).  The team offer assessment and evidence-based talking therapies for CYP and parents/carers, typically 6-8 sessions in length.  The team also deliver parent/carer webinars and groups for CYP on a range of topics to include: anxiety and low mood.  The team work with CYP within the Thriving, Getting Advice and Support and Getting Help Thrive contexts.  Camden CAMHS Wellbeing Team, OpenMinded | Waiting Room

• j) Clinical Intake Team (Camden’s Referral Intake Team)

The team manage all Camden CAMHS Unit referrals: triaging, giving advice and signposting and gathering more information to determine the best support for the CYP and family’s needs.  The team will consult and liaise with CYP and families directly and with referring professionals/networks, supporting onward referrals to other services and organisations.  The team work with CYP within the Thriving and Getting Advice and Support Thrive contexts.  Camden Intake Team | Waiting Room

• k) The Fostering, Adoption, and Kinship Care Team

offers therapeutic interventions to children placed outside their birth families and works with young people over 18 when necessary. Fostering, adoption and kinship care – Tavistock and Portman

• l) The Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Learning Disabilities (LD) service

The team provides assessments and therapeutic support for 12–18-year-olds in Haringey.

• m) The Adolescent and Young Adult service

The team offers evidence-based psychotherapy for 14–25-year-olds, focusing on those with adverse childhood experiences. Adolescent and young adult service – Tavistock and Portman

• n) The Family Mental Health Team (FMHT)

The team serves children in Barnet providing long-term interventions in Haringey and Islington and provides child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to children up to the age of 18 and their families Family mental health – Tavistock and Portman

• The Child and Family Unit also includes a specialist school, home office funded services, FDAC, the NCL wide Eating Disorders Assessment service for conditions like ARFID and the NCEL FCAMHS consultation service.
• The Child and Family Unit consist of 14 generic and specialist CAMHS services to various London Boroughs, primarily within the NCL ICS, focusing on the “Getting Help” and “Getting More Help” Thrive Quadrants. Some teams also offer treatment for mild to moderate conditions.
• O) For those aged over 18 years: (18 – 24)
• The only specific mental health pathway is for the Adolescent and Young Adult service (see above).
• Over 24 years of age; The trust has a psychodynamic psychotherapy service and a Trauma service which offer specialist interventions aligned with these modalities.

10. Does your trust record information on the sources of referrals to children and

young people mental health services and adult mental health services? If yes,

what are the sources of referrals listed in both cases.