Joint Strategic Board for Child and Family Mental Health minutes: 11 June 2025

Attendees and apologies

Present

• Stephen Gallagher, Director of Mental Health, Scottish Government, co-Chair
• Kandarp Joshi, Psychiatrist, Royal College of Psychiatry of Scotland
• Hannah Axon, Policy Manager, COSLA
• Angela Davidson, Deputy Director, Mental Health, Scottish Government
• Joanne Smith, Chair, Parent and Infant Mental Health Scotland and National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) Scotland
• Judy Thomson, NHS Education Scotland
• Carsten Mandt, Senior Programme Manager, Perinatal Mental Health Network
• Cheryl Burnett, Chair, National Parent Forum of Scotland
• Roch Cantwell, Professional Adviser, Perinatal and Infant Mental Health, Scottish Government
• Stephen Mcleod, Professional Adviser, Directorate for Mental Health, Scottish Government
• Tracy Stewart, Scottish Council of Deans of Education
• Alison Sutherland, Head of Support, The Promise Scotland
• Selena Gleadow-Ware, Chair, Perinatal Psychiatry, Royal College of Psychiatrists
• Ruth Christie, Unit Head, Children Young People and Families Mental Health, Scottish Government
• Haylis Smith, National Delivery Lead, Suicide Prevention, COSLA
• Aileen Blower, Professional Adviser, Scottish Government
• Andrea Blair, General Manger Specialist Children’s Services, NHS GGC

Apologies

• Ellen Moran, Principal Education Psychologist, West Dunbartonshire, ASPEP
• Jaki Lambert, Director, Royal College of Midwives
• Emma Currer, Royal College of Midwives
• Nicola Dickie, Director of People Policy, COSLA, co-Chair
• Carrie Lindsay, Executive Director of Education and Children's Services, Fife Council
• Mairi Macpherson, Deputy Director, Improving Health and Wellbeing, Scottish Government
• Andrew Watson, Director Children and Families, Scottish Government
• Sarah Gargan, PMHNS
• Nicola Dickie, Director of People Policy, COSLA
• Gillian McCluskey, Director of Centre for Research in Education, Inclusion and Diversity, Scottish Council of Deans of Education
• Marie Balment, Infant Mental Health Clinical Lead, PMHNS
• Laura Meikle, Head of Support and Wellbeing Unit, Scottish Government
• Marie Graham, Policy Manager, Scottish Government
• Martin Crewe, Director, Bernardo’s
• Laura Kerr, Social Work Scotland
• Alison Taylor, Deputy Director for Improvement, Attainment and Wellbeing, Scottish Government

Observers

• Harriet Waugh, Self-Harm Policy and Distress Interventions, Scottish Government
• Chloe Duffus, Team Lead, Specialist MH Services Delivery Team, Children Young People and Families Mental Health, Scottish Government
• Peter Innes, Senior Policy Officer, Children and Young People’s Community and Advice Team, Scottish Government
• Katy Lister, Senior Policy Adviser, CYP Specialist MH Services Delivery Team, Scottish Government
• Carolyn McDonald, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer, Scottish Government
• Ally Winford, Unit Head, Strategy and Co-Ordination, Scottish Government
• Lisa Malcolmson, Regional Nurse Consultant, NHS
• Gavin Philipson, Perinatal Lead, Managed Clinical Network, NHS
• Phillipa Balshaw, Scottish Youth Parliament
• Ffyona Taylor, The Promise Scotland
• Ali MacDonald, Public Health Scotland
• Diana Beveridge, Head of Children and Young People Improvement Collaborative, Scottish Government
• Madihah Iqbal, Team Lead, Children and Young People’s Community and Advice Team, Scottish Government

Secretariat

• Alastair Douglas, Secretariat, Children, Young People and Families Mental Health, Scottish Government
• Della Robb, Team Lead, Children and Young People’s Community and Advice Team, Scottish Government
• Kelsey Sclater, Policy Officer, Children and Young People’s Community and Advice Team, Scottish Government
• Hannah Worth, Senior Policy Officer, Children and Young People’s Community and Advice Team, Scottish Government
• Georgia de Courcy Wheeler, Team Lead, CAMHS and ND Improvement Team, Children Young People and Families Mental Health, Scottish Government

Items and actions

Welcome and introductions

Stephen Gallacher (SGa), co-chair of the Joint Strategic Board for Child and Family Mental Health (JSB) welcomed everyone to the meeting and noted apologies.

SGa invited any comments or amendments to the minute of the 26 March 2025 JSB meeting. No changes were requested and the minutes were approved.

Update on actions

• SGa - Update the next JSB chaired by SGa on progress regarding Psychology workforce and enhanced support work being done with boards around demand for Psychological Therapies services, current levels of activity, workforce structure and potential capacity available from their workforce

Update from Implementation Group Chairs (paper 2)

Awareness Raising and Promotion Implementation Group - Stephen McLeod

Stephen McLeod (SMcL) outlined work being progressed by this group under it's identified priorities including:

• improve communication pathways with GP’s

  • identify pathways that provide clear communications to GPs on mental health on national messaging and local mental health support

  • identify and opportunities to engage with GP learning events across Scotland to share local and national mental health messaging

  • support Scottish Government with the ongoing development and promotion of the national mental health and primary care toolkit

  • work with Scottish Government Primary Care Colleagues to explore further opportunities to align communications on mental health

• improve communication pathways with parents

  • working with parents (supported by Connect), to explore how communication pathways can be improved and what can be done nationally to support this

  • learning from engagement undertaken by members and wider partners, explore further themes related to communication

• improve communication between Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and Children and Young People (CYP)

  • identify work that can be undertaken to improve communication between children and young people and CAMHS/mental health services, particularly in the context of 'rejection letters'​​​​

 Progress on these tasks to date includes:

• feedback received from GPs in the Deep End Group regarding the National Mental Health Toolkit, which has been shared with the relevant Scottish Government policy team
• Connect has presented to implementation group on their interim findings from most recent engagement with parents and asked the group for input to help inform their next steps
• Scottish Government Parent Club marketing team has presented to implementation group on their learning from the most recent 'Teen Mental Health' campaign and group has agreed to share this campaign widely through their networks
• implementation group started to consider what they can do to work on improving the communication to families from CAMHS

Discussion

• Cheryl Burnett (CB) reiterated the useful networks of the National Parent Forum and noted they are happy to help on communication with parents and carers
• Selena Gleadow-Ware (SGW) queried whether the Mental Health toolkit for GP’s provides an opportunity to signpost to parents own mental health needs, as well as children and young people's. SMcL responded that we have engaged with GP’s on two levels:
  • national advice that can be made available to GP’s via existing arrangements such as NHS Inform
  • what is the local context they are working in and what awareness raising information should be made available locally
• Ali McDonald (AMcD) enquired if any thought had been given to engaging with Education Scotland as they are reviewing the Curriculum for Excellence and the Health and Wellbeing syllabus? SMcL responded that there is good input from education within the group but it would be worthwhile to meet to discuss the review of the Curriculum for Excellence
• CB shared that in South Lanarkshire information has been going out to parents with Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) signposting alternative supports however she is not aware of this across other local authorities. This was felt to be useful. HA responded that it would be interesting to explore sharing this further as a good practice example as appropriate
• Hannah Axon (HA) reminded the board that there is a Mental Health in Schools working group linked to the JSB, bringing together education stakeholders which will be looking at crisis support over the next few months as well as the implementation of mental health learning resources in school settings

Actions

• Secretariat - Invite CB to Awareness Raising and Promotion Implementation Group

• Secretariat - to identify an opportunity to invite the mental health in schools working group to the JSB

• SMcL to capture feedback on GP tool in ongoing work

• SMcL and AMcD - to meet and regarding the review of the Curriculum for Excellence and see what opportunities lie there for the work of the Awareness Group

• HA - explore opportunities to share South Lanarkshire practice example

Barriers and Access to Support and Services Implementation Group – Dr Aileen Blower

Aileen Blower (AB) shared the following update:

• the current focus of the group is on crisis and distress support with the group providing a feedback and advice role to policy officials on what is being called 'A Scottish Approach Framework to Crisis and Distress in Young People'

  • the aim of the framework is to provide an overview of good practice for crisis support for children and young people across country, regions and locally

  • case studies are being used as a way to focus attention with more detailed discussions at the in person meeting in June

  • key is clarity on what good crisis support response looks like in terms of the evidence base

• the work of the Barriers group is being phased with a focus later in the year on children and young people with particular vulnerabilities such as LGBTQ+, care experience

Discussion

• Judy Thomson (JT) enquired if the group will be producing a set of principles or guidance and if there will be a description of the current issues that the group is trying to address. AB responded that the current barriers/parameters were well defined by the board within previous papers and will be kept in mind. The purpose of the Framework is to:

  • describe a set of principles

  • this will include timing of interventions, de-escalation and diversion

  • there will be adherence to rights based practices such as children’s rights and human rights

  • consideration of where children and young people receive interventions keeping in mind what young people have said about having a balance of digital, telephone and in person support

• CB raised the third sector and if they are also being looked at alongside statutory services. AB confirmed that third sector is being included and that this is about access to support and services wherever and whoever is providing them. There will also be recommendations around capacity building in the system which will include third sector

Actions

• AB and CB - to meet or correspond outside of the JSB on third sector and the work of the Barriers group
• Secretariat - invite Cheryl Burnett to future Barriers group meetings

Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy Plan Refresh – Update and Discussion (paper 3)

Hannah Axon (HA) shared the following update;

• lifespan of the current plan has been extended with revised plans anticipated for publication in February 2026

• guided by input from the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy Leadership Board it is intended the next plan will include fewer commitments, focussing on quality and what can have the biggest impact and including specific timelines and outputs

• engagement to support the revision of the plans will work with mental health governance structures to consider potential actions for inclusion

• views are sought on what should be included from a children and young people’s policy perspective:

  • what are the priorities?

  • what actions would move these priorities forward?

  • if the current priorities are not right, what actions should be taken?

• Ally Winford (AW) reiterated that the remit given by the leadership board includes the layout, format and structure of the next delivery plan

• the delivery plan and workforce action plan will be merged

• anything included in the plan will need a clear sense of what inputs and output are and how that will affect people’s lives to help measure effectiveness in a consistent way

• plan to be published in 2026 with the work around this becoming a core part of the JSB's work programme

Discussion

• JT commented that she is supportive of this direction of travel and agreed it made sense for it to be a core part of JSB work. There does need to be an awareness that with fewer actions we don’t miss out on important issues such as waiting times and other challenges

• AMcD added that we need to focus on root causes and that we look at the plan and actions through a children and young people policy lens. One area of consideration is the transition of young people out of schools and effects of mental health on employment. We must also be aware of digital determinants as some population groups of children and young people may not be able to access resources online.

SGa highlighted that there would be further opportunities to help shape and develop the delivery plan.

Actions

• Secretariat - due to some gaps in attendance at the meeting, membership will be contacted to give people the opportunity to comment on the refresh of the plan

Promise Plan 24-30: Supporting Development of the Health Route Map (paper 4)

Alison Sutherland (AS) gave an update on the Promise Plan 24-30 and associated roadmaps to keep the promise by 2030:

• Scotland Independent Care review concluded in 2020 which heard what must change in Scotland’s care system from workforce and children and young people. Out of this came the Promise which is a commitment to whole system change by 2030
• Plan 24-30 launched in 2024 and is an online framework which can be updated and illustrates how the Promise is being kept across various priorities and parts of the system
• 25 route maps aligned to identified themes will be developed showing where Scotland is now and where we need to get to by 2030
• the 25 route maps need to be co-developed and populated but since there has been work going on across the country already, we are not beginning from a standing start
• national and local priorities will be aligned on the route maps, promoting transparency and accountability
• the route maps are the methodology but are underpinned by human learning systems such as relationships, continuous learning, flexibility among others
• what matters to children and families is the key principle underpinning the route maps with children’s rights at the heart of them

The ask of this board is if we would consider supporting the progress and development of Plan 24-30 being undertaken with a focus on the route map for mental health that feeds into the wider health route map. This will include;

• a mapping exercise to map out existing national priorities and workplans for child and family mental health

• drafting the route map and setting out a high level national direction

• assessing risks, dependencies, interdependencies and assumptions

• work with The Promise Scotland to see how they can support the boards work on the roadmap

HA added that we are looking to support in principle but that how work will progress within JSB structures and what resource will support it will require further consideration.  

Discussion

• JT is broadly supportive and highlighted that the work the mental health plan will cover is very wide reaching  
• AS concurred that The Promise is wide ranging, complicated and overlaps with the work of the JSB but that the work of the JSB already aligns with the 24-30 plan, particularly around mental health which is specifically the roadmap the board is being asked to work on
• SMcL found this work really encouraging added two points
  • reference to systemic work is very important and that a trauma informed approach can be applied to systemic working
  • family preservation approach is critical and supporting families at a much earlier stage can be hugely valuable

The board agreed they are content with the recommendations in the paper.

Update from CYP Neurodevelopmental Policy

Georgia de Courcy Wheeler (GdeCW) presented an update on Children and Young People Neurodevelopmental policy

Key points

• this update provided a brief overview of the work Scottish Government and COSLA have been done to review the implementation of the Children and Young Peoples Neurodevelopment Service Specification which we hope to publish in a few weeks, summarising the short, medium and long term actions
• within the review there was wide engagement with partners and stakeholders including parent groups and children and young people with lived experience
• one of the sifnificant recommendations is the setting up of a cross sector working group and this is currently being examined in terms of how it would function

​​​​​​​Discussion

• Carolyn McDonald (CMcD) enquired if conversations had been had with speech and language therapy and occupational therapy allied health professions during the specification development. GdeCW shared that this had been done 
• CB welcomed the work done so far and highlighted that they are seeing a high number of parent, carers, children and young people who are on a Neurodevelopment pathway but not diagnosed. There are inconsistencies around availability and knowing where to go for support
• Kandarp Joshi (KJ) asked if there had been any connections made with the Royal College of Psychiatrists. GdeCW confirmed there had been meetings with the Royal College around a paper produced earlier in the year and the Child Heads of Psychology Services letter
• CB is happy to work with GdeCW on the specification going forward in her role as Chair of the National Parent Forum of Scotland and would be happy to have the forum’s logo and name attached to the work

Any other business

No other business was raised.

Close

SGa thanked those present for attending and the presenters for their contributions before bringing the meeting to a close.