Identifying research priorities for care experienced children and young people with unmet emotional and behavioural needs in Wales - vote now
15 January
Vote for your priorities now!
Health and Care Research Wales is working with Welsh Government policy officials in health, social services and education on our latest research prioritisation project.
The purpose of this project is to help us identify research priorities that aim to improve the access to and delivery of joined-up care and support for children and young people (11-25 years-old) with care experience (in care, on the edge of care, or care leavers) with unmet emotional and behavioural needs.
Services providing care and support: health care, social care, education and third sector organisations.
For this project, we are using the term “children and young people with unmet emotional and behavioural needs” to describe those who do not have a mental health diagnosis from child and adolescent mental health services / adult mental health services (CAMHS/AMHS), but who find difficulty in successfully managing their behaviour and emotions.
These emotions and behaviours could include (but are not limited to): distressing, disruptive, antisocial and uncooperative behaviours, and high stress and anxiety. This includes children and young people awaiting a mental health diagnosis from CAMHS/AMHS and those with a neurodivergent diagnosis as we are aware of the overlaps between neurodivergence and having unmet emotional and behavioural needs.
We want to ask professionals providing care and support in health care, social care, education, and third sector organisations, and children and young people themselves, to share with us their perspectives on:
- what their biggest concerns are with the delivery and access to joined-up working
- and what research or evidence is needed to help services join up
Project background
Welsh Government is committed to a preventative approach to improve the emotional and mental health of young people in Wales, for instance through the Whole School Approach and the NYTH/NEST framework.
Welsh Government know that the cost-of-living crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic continue to have a profound effect on the mental health and emotional wellbeing of this cohort of children and young people in Wales.
Welsh Government also want to ensure support is available when needed, especially for those who are most vulnerable such as those in care, and those with a complex family background. Welsh Government know from listening to children, young people, and practitioners that the support provided to people with unmet emotional and behavioural needs who do not have a diagnosable mental health condition needs improvement and better joining up.
Research can help make the changes needed by filling gaps in our knowledge. To conduct useful research, we must listen to you, children and young people and the professionals working in this area, to identify the most important concerns and ideas you have.
Why should I take part?
When research happens in future, we want it to be research that makes a real difference to the lives of people in Wales and which improves the quality of the care and support they receive.
The results of the surveys and discussion groups will be used to identify a top 10 set of research priorities which we will promote to research funders. The findings will also be used in the development of the Welsh Government Mental Health Strategy and will be shared with policy officials across health and social services to inform policies on integrated working.
Take part in the survey to vote for your priorities now!
What are we asking from you?
Over 100 practitioners and young people across Wales took part in our first survey to share their ideas and experiences. These have been analysed and grouped into summary questions.
We want to narrow down the list of 28 summary questions, by gathering your votes on the questions you most want research to address in this second survey.
You can still vote even if you did not take part in our first survey.
Please encourage your contacts to take part and promote it to colleagues.
The survey should be filled in by those with experience (personal or through work) of services providing care and support to care experienced children and young people aged 11-25 years who have unmet emotional and behavioural needs.
This includes:
- children and young people (11-25 years)
- advocates for children and young people
- parents, guardians, and carers
- front line workers and strategic decision makers in any of the following:
- Statutory services: health boards, local authorities (social services), education (schools, further education, higher education)
- Third sector organisations who deliver care and support
- Preventative services (e.g. the wider network of outreach and support)
The survey should take you approximately five minutes, but it is no problem if it takes you longer.
Opens: 15 January 2024
Deadline for completion: 10:00 on Monday 12 February 2024
Participating in this survey is voluntary, and your answers will be kept confidential. Please see the Privacy Notice.
We are happy to receive submissions based on group discussions about the survey questions, especially for those who are unable to complete an online survey. If you can collaborate with us and help to champion the survey in any way, please contact Josie Jackson.
We are holding discussions into this topic with children and young people to hear their voice and we will also analyse their responses from relevant past consultations, rather than doing this solely via a survey. Please see the Privacy Notice for the discussion groups.
Next steps
We will combine the outputs from this survey and the discussions with children and young people to identify the top priority questions.
To select the top 10 priorities, we will hold an online workshop with practitioners, children and young people and their advocates to discuss the most popular questions from the second survey.
Once we have our top 10 we will present these to researchers and research funders.
To be involved in the workshop, there is an opportunity at the end of the survey to provide your contact information.
Please take part in the survey to vote for your priorities now!