1. YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH
KENT
YASMIN ISHAQ

2. PROJECT PLAN
Investigate whether a youth mental health service
model in Kent would provide a more robust young
person orientated service.
Understand the social, psychological and
environmental stressors that impact on Kent’s
young peoples emotional well being.
Listen to the young people of Kent.
Support the education/awareness of providers who
work with young people in Kent.

3. Wider community involved
Need for holistic
in promoting health and
approach
educational services
UNICEF survey
on child well
being
Children and young
Use of social capital people to help structure
and share services

4. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
• 3 objectives to the project
1) To hear from young people in Kent and Medway
what helps and hinders their mental health
2) To build resources in the local communities to
support young peoples mental well being
3) Commissioning a youth mental health service

5. Material resources, equitable Relationships and respect, social
access to assets that support support, collective respect for
mental well being people experiencing misfortune
Interventions to
promote mental
well being
(MWIA 2011)
Inner resources, strengthening
Meaningful activity, opportunities
psychological, life skills and
to contribute
resilience

6. SCOPE OF THE PROJECT
Project will take approximately 9 months
March 2012 to deliver 3 Youth Mental Health First
Aid Programmes across Kent.
May and June 2012 canvass young peoples views
about well being from 20 focus groups.
September 2012 – project report and
recommendations completed. Service gaps
identified and options explored for developing an
integrated model for youth mental health services

7. YMHFA
 To preserve life where a young person may be
a danger to themselves or others.
 To provide help to prevent the mental health
problem developing into a more serious state.
 To promote the recovery of good mental health
 To provide comfort to a young person
experiencing a mental health problem.
 To raise awareness of mental health issues in
the community.
 To reduce stigma and discrimination.

8. 2 DAY COURSE
Introduction – context/definitions
of mental health
Anxiety and depression
Suicide and psychosis
Self harm, substance misuse and
eating disorders

9. 3 X YMHFA COURSES
• 3 courses run in East and West Kent and Medway.
• Courses hosted by voluntary sector and
educational institutions.
• The courses ensured inclusion of non statutory
providers.
• Attendees included – Rethink CDWs, Higher and
Further education staff, Shaw Trust(employment),
KCA (drug and alcohol services), YOS, community
projects for BME young people, Kent safeguarding
police, Porchlight (housing and homeless project),
Charlton Athletic Community Trust, Princes Trust,
Platform 51(project for women).

10. HOW PARTICIPANTS WILL USE THEIR
NEW SKILLS AFTER YMHFA
“back up improve the
“Immediately to support provided to the
“To be more ready develop the children, young people
with young people” quality of and adults”
“Everyday Shaw Trust standards of our Disability coordinator
with the current service”
young people Platform 51
on my
project” “Will use it on a
Porchlight daily basis”
Sandwich “I will be more aware of
Technology what symptoms to look for
School and be able to react
immediately”
Caribbean teacher/mentor
“To be more aware and
understand how to help, “It has given me a better
where to signpost understanding on how
people that need help” to help young people”
Charlton Athletic Charlton Athletic
Community Trust Community Trust

11. CONFIDENCE TO SUPPORT YP AFTER
YMHFA
Personal confidence of how Knowledge and understanding
to support YP with a problem of how best to support a YP

12. FOCUS GROUPS
 Focus groups will be between 6-8 young people (aged 12-25).
 Facilitated by an assistant psychologist and Rethink CDW.
 Grounded Theory will be used to gather information to enable
as far as possible young people to set the agenda of what
affects their well being in Kent.
 Proposed groups identified so far include – young
offenders(Cookham Wood), Canterbury College, University of
Kent, Sandwich Technology School, Folkestone Academy,
Platform 51, Sure Start, Porchlight, Connexions, Asylum Seekers
Service, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh community project/services, LGBT
group, Charlton Athletic/Gillingham FC youth teams, Kent
(youth) Link, Princes Trust, KCA (substance misuse services,
Sainsbury/Tesco.

14. WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT KENT
Kent has a population of approx 1,690,000
Canterbury has the largest population with 153,200 and
Dartford the smallest with 94,600.
Kent has 213,300 young people aged 15-24 (12.7%)
Canterbury has 30,900 YP aged 15-24 (20.1%)
Thanet has the highest number of households in poverty
(26.3%).
Unemployment in Kent (not including Medway) has
increased for YP under 25 from 1770 (September 2010) to
9005 (September 2011)
BME make up 7.6% of the population in Kent with the
highest % in Dartford (12.1%) and Gravesham (13.6%)

19. PROJECT BENEFITS
A clear and realistic picture of what young people
want for their well being
What the effects of the training are for resources in
the communities to support young people better
Recommendations for commissioning changes to
service models

20. RISKS
The project cuts across organisational boundaries in
children’s and adult services.
Current funding arrangements for delivering mental
health services are changing (e.g. PbR, clustering)
Risks are mitigated by having a strong
project/steering group that includes YP
representation.
Expectations for new services will be managed by
clear messages about the phases of the project
and possible timescales.

21. THANK YOU
Questions?