New 24/7 service supports children and young people experiencing mental health crises

Mersey Care’s Child and Young People’s Mental Health Service

In August 2023, a new service was launched to help support children and young people experiencing a mental health crisis in Warrington, Halton, St Helens and Knowsley.

The new 24/7 crisis response team is being delivered by Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust’s Child and Young People’s Mental Health Service. It aims to provide an emergency response and full risk assessment to vulnerable children and their families within four hours.

It also provides:

• Advice and consultation to professionals, parents, carers, and children and young people
• Emergency risk assessment (within 4 hours)
• Brief intervention and home treatment
• Follow up care

The service aims to help reduce the pressure on local accident and emergency departments by providing a rapid response alternative which is staffed by mental health specialists, and possibly reduce the need to detain individuals for their own safety too.

The team is working in close partnership with social care, schools, and other professionals working with children and young people across these boroughs to help raise awareness of the service and ensure children and young people stay safe.

Impact so far

The service has had an ‘immediate impact’ since launching, with 144 emergency referrals being made to the service within its first month, rising to 217 in its second operational month.

This system impact is significant when you consider that previously the alternative for most of these families, would have been an ambulance call out or an attendance at an A&D department for support.

In addition, the service is also helping to significantly improve the overall patient experience for children and young people experiencing mental health crises, and for their parents/carers by helping them get to the right care faster.