The Healthy Young Minds Project, commissioned by Cheshire East Council, is a five year programme that will offer accessible, inclusive support to children and young people in Cheshire East, helping to build resilience and achieve positive emotional wellbeing.
If you would like to be kept informed about Healthy Young Minds and opportunities to get involved please share your details here to join our mailing list, or if you would like to find out more about the project please contact Ange Richardson CVS Sector Development Officer at: ange.richardson@cvsce.org.uk
What is Healthy Young Minds?
Healthy Young Minds offers an accessible, inclusive service aimed at building resilience in children and young people (CYP) and their families, to address emotional wellbeing issues, at the earliest opportunity, to enable CYP to live their best lives in the future.
Healthy Young Minds will run from 2024 to 2029 (with an option to extend to 2031). A digital offer, to provide virtual support for CYP and their families, will form part of the wider Healthy Young Minds service, following further procurement.
The service model was extensively co-produced with an wide range of stakeholders, including children and young people, parents/carers, education providers, professionals (including health, social care, and police) - with thirty-six focus groups, comprising over 300 participants. Children and young people will continue to be at the heart of Healthy Young Minds.
The Healthy Young Minds service was initially launched to schools on 18/6/24 at a Senior Mental Health Leads Network meeting - and will provide integrated support, in partnership with children and young people, their families and professionals and help to reduce future demand on a wide range of specialist/statutory services.
Two providers Just Drop In (operating in the North of Cheshire East) and Visyon (operating in the Central and South of Cheshire East) will offer a flexible service supporting CYP, which gives CYP choice and control over their care.
These services will target the upper quadrants of the Thrive model (Thriving, Getting Advice and Getting Support).
The Healthy Young Minds project also includes the establishment of a Healthy Young Minds Alliance - where providers will work together, towards a shared ambition of building resilience in CYP and their families, to achieve consistency and equality of delivery, address gaps in services as a collaborative - and provide a mechanism for channelling funding, to enhance the impact of early intervention.
CVS Cheshire East will be responsible for establishing and chairing the Healthy Young Minds Alliance with the key deliverables below.
Logo and Values Competition
Calling all creative young minds! We’re excited to announce a fantastic opportunity for primary and secondary school pupils to showcase their creativity.
What’s the Competition About?
The Healthy Young Minds Service is a new project that aims to support the emotional wellbeing of children and young people, helping them to build resilience and live their best lives.
We need a unique and inspiring logo to represent the service and want YOU to design it! Plus, we want to hear what you think our Healthy Young Minds values should be. And if your logo design is chosen, your school will receive £500 for wellbeing activities needed by your school.
Key Dates
Competition launch: Wednesday, 11th September
Submission deadline: Wednesday, 30th October at 5pm
Judging day: A Young Person’s Panel will be held on Monday, 25th November to choose the winning logo.
You can find out more about the competition here.
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.
Next steps
- For schools in Cheshire East, there is an opportunity for you to submit entries to a competition, to design the Healthy Young Minds logo and values – closing date 25th October for entries and more details please see here.
- In the coming weeks, a small Steering Group, instrumental in the coproduction of Healthy Young Minds, will create the Terms of Reference for the Alliance.
- Following this, we will establish the structures for the Alliance and opportunities for involvement.
- There will be quarterly Healthy Young Minds Alliance partnership meetings (a mix of online and face to face).
- Short- and long-term priority activities will be agreed, and an implementation plan will be developed in discussion with Alliance members and young people.
- Task and Finish sub-groups may be formed to work on specific work.
- Should the need arise, the Alliance will also respond to the emergence of new themes, challenges, or issues, by facilitating discussions at extraordinary Alliance partnership meetings.
- We also plan to have annual events such as this, to make sure as many people can learn about key achievements and share in the success of the Alliance.
In summary, the mental health of children and young people has never been more important, nor more challenging to safeguard. Pressures from all angles are weighing on systems, designed to support children and young people to take control of their mental health and get access to the right measures, at the right time. The work already underway by colleagues across education, public health, the NHS and the VCFSE Sector continues. The launch event marked the establishment of the Healthy Young Minds Alliance in Cheshire East, a model to support future collaborative systems - with the shared goal of making the lives of all children and young people immeasurably better.
Over the next five years of Healthy Young Minds, there will be challenges to face and overcome. But together, we can help to create a future where every young mind is healthy, every voice is heard, and every individual child and young person can thrive. We look forward to working together to make Healthy Young Minds a beacon of hope and support.
Healthy Young Minds Providers
| Visyon | Just Drop In |
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Phone: 01260 290000 |
Phone : 01625 665079 |
| Text: 07508 074748 | Text : 07718 425405 |
| Email:administration@visyon.org.uk | Email: hello@justdropin.co.uk |
Solihull Approach FREE Online Courses
As part of the HYM service, Just Drop-In and Visyon are pleased to announce that they have partnered with Solihull Approach to provide FREE online evidence-based courses, developed by psychologists and professionals, for all partners and practitioners of Cheshire East’s Children’s Workforce. These courses can be accessed anytime, anywhere:
- Understanding brain development: insights into the science behind children's brain development and emotional health, helping families make informed decisions that support healthy cognitive growth.
- Understanding trauma: specialist education on trauma recognition, processing and recovery
- Understanding attachment: strategies for open and effective communication that will strengthen the parent-child bond and promote emotional well-being.
You can access these courses by visiting the webpage here: webpage here following the simple registration process, and entering the access code WHEATSHEAF-PRF.
We have a thought leadership piece going into more detail which can be found here.
Resources
Potential funding sources for charitable organisations and social enterprises
NHS Cheshire & Merseyside Children & Young People’s Mental Health Plan 2024 - 2026
Other Sources of Support
| Wellbeing for Education | For information about Wellbeing for Education offer and Cheshire East Senior Mental Health Lead Network go to Wellbeing for Education - All resources | Chess Hub |
| Children and Young People Wellbeing Hub | The Children and Young People (CYP) Wellbeing Hub (acts as a service to improve referrals into specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, where a moderate to severe mental health condition is indicated by a health professional). Children and Young People Wellbeing Hub: Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (cwp.nhs.uk) |
| Cheshire East 0-18 CAMHS |
The Cheshire East 0-18 CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) team provides treatment and support to young people aged 0-18 that are experiencing mental health difficulties. CAMHS 0-18 - Cheshire East: Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (cwp.nhs.uk) |
Urgent Support
| 24/7 Mental Health Helpline | For urgent mental health advice and support please call your local 24/7 Mental Health Helpline - Cheshire 0800 145 6485 https://www.mymind.org.uk/crisis-support/ You should still call 999 or go to A&E if you or a young person you are working with have an immediate, life-threatening emergency requiring mental or physical health assistance. |
| CHECS | Anyone who has concerns for the immediate safety of a child or young person must phone: The Cheshire East Consultation Service (ChECS) on 0300 123 5012 (option 3) - Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5pm, or Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm; or Out of Hours Service (Emergency Duty Team) on 0300 123 5022 |