In April 2022, SYP was asked by the Scottish Government to carry out an independent evaluation of community based mental health services for children, young people and their families. The aim of this evaluation was to determine how effective these services are in supporting children and young people’s mental wellbeing, and to identify areas where change may be required to better support children, young people, and their families across Scotland.
To carry out this evaluation, we set up a Mental Health Investigation Team made up of seven MSYPs, who were supported by staff from SYP, Evaluation Support Scotland, and Children in Scotland. Over six months, the MSYPs planned and facilitated focus groups with children, young people, parents and carers, and service providers across Scotland. They also ran three surveys with young people, families, and service providers to understand a range of different views and experiences of community based mental health services. Following the data collection period, the Investigation Team carried analysed their research findings and identified recurring themes and issues. The group used their findings to create a set of recommendations we hope the Scottish Government will take to make sure children and young people, and their families receive a consistent level of support for their mental health and wellbeing across Scotland.
In 2023, two MSYPs travelled to Geneva to take part in the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s review of the progress the UK has made on children’s rights in recent years. One of their calls focused on community based mental health services, and this was reflected in the Concluding Observations made by the UN Committee in June 2023.
In March 2024, the Scottish Government announced £30 million would be put into mental health funding, drawing on the findings of SYP’s independent evaluation into mental health support and services. The Scottish Government used the findings and recommendations from SYP’s report to consider the critical importance of providing mental health support to children, young people and families across Scotland. Announcing the increased funding , the Scottish Government spoke about the evaluation and the improvement in support and services as a result of direct investment.
In August 2024, we worked with the Scottish Government to review the updated Community Mental Health Services and Supports Framework. The Framework is designed to give guidance to local authorities and service providers about how to deliver this type of support. MSYPs reviewed a draft of the updated Framework, and made recommendations before it was published in September 2024.
