Councils admit confusion over youth role in health service commissioning

Councils are due to take over the commissioning of some children and young people's mental health services through new health and wellbeing boards, which form part of proposals outlined in the Health and Social Care Reform Bill. The bill also includes plans to set up local patient health watchdogs called HealthWatch.

But according to the charity YoungMinds, many councils are unclear how to involve local young people in both new structures.

A survey of council health scrutiny committee chairs, which was completed by more than a quarter, found that 79 per cent had not been informed how local young people could get involved in shaping services.

The NCB was among a number of organisations last year to warn that the involvement of children and young people in the new structures was not a priority and they risked being marginalised.

This latest survey also found that last year’s mental health strategy proposals to improve children and young people’s mental health services is having little impact on provision on the ground.

The strategy, which was unveiled in February 2011, outlined plans to expand psychological therapies for children and young people and focus on early intervention and prevention.

While 83 per cent of those surveyed were aware of the strategy, around three-quarters called for more detailed information from government on its implementation.

Just 28 per cent said the strategy had impacted on the commissioning and running of local health services.

More than two-thirds of respondents felt that their committee did not receive enough information about children and young people’s mental health services in their local area.

The survey findings are being sent by the charity to the Department of Health (DoH) and Department for Education.

Sarah Brennan, chief executive of YoungMinds, said the lack of children and young people's participation in local health reforms is a "worrying sign".

"Children and young people need to be involved from the outset otherwise it will be much harder to introduce their participation when structures are already created," she said.

"While the DoH is not keen to interfere locally it is becoming clear that a strong steer may need to be given from the centre so that patient involvement in the new NHS landscape does not become an adults-only arena."