Healthy Young Minds Announcement
A ground-breaking new initiative, Healthy Young Minds, is putting the mental and emotional wellbeing of children and young people (CYP) at the forefront.
This collaborative effort, co-produced by CYP themselves alongside families, professionals, and local organisations, offers a comprehensive approach to building resilience and preventing future struggles.
Commissioned by Cheshire East Council, Healthy Young Minds aims to reduce the need for specialised services by providing early intervention and tailored support.
Katy Ellison, commissioning manager at the council, highlights the service's potential for long-term impact: "This service is a catalyst for change. By working together, we can empower young people with the tools they need to thrive."
Healthy Young Minds will be delivered by Visyon and Just Drop-In, two highly respected local providers known for their dedication to CYP wellbeing. Their combined expertise and established community connections ensure seamless service delivery.
Both Visyon and Just Drop-In prioritise CYP voices.
Sam Ruck, head of therapeutic services at Visyon, emphasises, "Young people are central to everything we do. We work collaboratively with parents, schools, and CYP to create a supportive environment."
Ann Wright, chief officer at Just Drop-In, underscores their commitment to accessibility: "We offer early help and prevention, making services available when and where they're needed most – for CYP and their families."
Healthy Young Minds fosters collaboration through a CYP mental health alliance facilitated by CVS Cheshire East. This alliance ensures all stakeholders, especially CYP, have a voice in decision-making.
Aoife Middlemass, sector development lead at CVS Cheshire East, explains, "The Alliance strengthens partnerships, allowing us to learn, develop, and celebrate successes together."
This innovative service represents a significant investment in the mental and emotional wellbeing of Cheshire East's CYP. By working together, professionals, families, and young people themselves are building a brighter future for generations to come.
Healthy Young Minds is officially launched - 11th September 2024, in partnership with the Senior Mental Health Leads Network
The launch of the Healthy Young Minds service at Congleton Town Hall, was a very well supported event with over 100 delegates, exhibitors and guest speakers from both schools, the public sector and voluntary sector, all coming together in alliance, to share information, best practice, service provision and join forces for the next steps with Healthy Young Minds.
Heartfelt thanks go to three young people, who joined us on the day, to share their experiences of mental health and wellbeing support, by video and face to face. We have received much positive feedback from your excellent presentations and hope to see you again at future events.
Thank you also to Kathryn Sullivan CEO CVSCE for your introductory welcome and to the speakers on the day, for your informative and insightful presentations:-
Dr Susie Roberts, Consultant Public Health – Key recommendations for emotional and mental wellbeing need in our children and young people across Cheshire East arising from the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.
Ange Richardson, Healthy Young Minds Sector Development Officer CVSCE – Creating the Healthy Young Minds Alliance.
Jane Henry, Cheshire Mental Health Support Teams in Schools, Clinical Lead – Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust - Key features of successful service provision, working together, as an Alliance and an update on key areas of Access (MHST & Hub).
Lisa Carden Doorey, Trauma and Mental Health Practitioner & Wellbeing for Education Coordinator, Family Help Service Cheshire East Council - Senior Mental Health Lead Network update and latest information for the iThrive framework implementation.
Ann Wright, Chief Officer Just Drop In and Sam Ruck, Head of Therapeutic Services Visyon – Healthy Young Minds service provider's update.
Speakers’ presentation slides can be found here
We also appreciate the attendee’s feedback as to the challenges to be addressed and priorities for the Healthy Young Minds Service. A summary of the Mentimeter survey can be found here
And finally thank you to the exhibitors, for sharing information about your services. A link to two documents from the Family Hubs stand can be downloaded here and here. We know delegates were interested in receiving. If there are any other exhibitors who wish to share information, please do get in touch.
Logo and Values Competition
The 2024 Healthy Young Minds Logo Competition aimed to find a logo that encapsulates the spirit of the Healthy Young Minds service. With over 140 entries from pupils from Cheshire East schools, the competition showcased the incredible talent of young people in the area. A young person from The Macclesfield Academy, created the winning logo that stood out for its simplicity and powerful symbolism. Read Ange's piece on the winning design here.
