
News
Camden mental health support team for schools showcased in NHS England Medical Director visit
The Camden mental health support teams in schools service (Camden MHST) hosted Dr Adrian James, NHS England Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity at Regent High School in Camden, last month to highlight how the team works with young people, families and the school community to promote and support mental health.
The Camden MHST service, run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust aims to promote and support the mental health of young people and families through early intervention; that is before mental health difficulties become more difficult or when there are mild to moderate concerns around emotions, relationships and/or behaviour that a child may be presenting with. The service works collaboratively with local primary and secondary schools, such as Regent High School, and young people between the ages of 5 and 18 and works in ways to reduce the likelihood of mental health difficulties happening and to support people when challenges with mental health begin.
This visit by Adrian James marked an opportunity to reflect on Camden MHST’s journey as a trailblazer site since 2018 and to showcase the team’s remarkable growth and impact over the years. The service in Camden was one of the first trailblazer areas commissioned by NHS England and along with other boroughs contributed to the consensus on the MHST approach and the defining and measuring of waiting times across all MHST services across the NHS. The visit brought together members of Camden MHST, staff from Regent High School, and representatives from other primary and secondary schools the services work with.
Young people from Regent High who had previously taken part in a whole class intervention focused on compassion, delivered by Camden MHST had the opportunity to talk to the Medical Director about their experiences of being supported by the service.
Adrian James was joined by David Lockwood, Head of Perinatal and Children and Young People’s Mental Health for NHS England, who, along with Dr James, expressed heartfelt appreciation for the time and effort invested by the hosting team:
The commitment and passion of all the MHST and teaching staff to what they are doing was inspiring, and the feedback on the success and challenges will be enormously helpful in planning how we can improve and expand MHST. Particular thanks to the children we met, who allowed us to join their session.
The visit not only highlighted the dedication of Camden’s MHST and teaching staff but also reinforced the importance of mental health support within the educational setting. The visit also serves as a testament to Camden MHST’s pioneering efforts and commitment to fostering well-being for students across the borough.
The Tavistock and Portman provide services across Camden for children and young people, helping them with a range of mental health issues.
Find out more
Camden mental health support teams (MHST) in schools
An early intervention, school-based mental health service that works collaboratively with Camden primary and secondary schools.