Joint Strategic Board for Child and Family Mental Health minutes: 17 December 2025

Attendees and apologies

Present

• Stephen Gallagher, Director of Mental Health, Scottish Government, co-Chair
• Nicola Dickie, Director of People Policy, COSLA, co-Chair
• Aileen Blower, Professional Adviser, Scottish Government
• Hannah Axon, Policy Manager, COSLA
• Roch Cantwell, Professional Adviser, Perinatal and Infant Mental Health, Scottish Government
• Angela Davidson, Deputy Director, Mental Health, Scottish Government
• Stephen Mcleod, Professional Adviser, Directorate for Mental Health, Scottish Government
• Ellen Moran, Principal Education Psychologist, West Dunbartonshire, Association of Scottish Principal Educational Psychologists (ASPEP)
• Judy Thomson, NHS Education Scotland
• Mairi Macpherson, Deputy Director, Improving Health and Wellbeing, Scottish Government
• Gavin Philipson, Perinatal Lead, Managed Clinical Network, NHS
• Carsten Mandt, Senior Programme Manager, Perinatal Mental Health Network
• Ashleigh Macaulay, Perinatal Consultant Psychiatrist, West of Scotland Mother and Baby Unit
• Andrea Blair, General Manger Specialist Children’s Services, NHS GGC
• Madihah Iqbal, Team Lead, Children and Young People’s Mental Health Team, Scottish Government
• Carrie Lindsay, Executive Officer, ADES
• Haylis Smith, National Delivery Lead, Suicide Prevention, COSLA
• Martin Crewe, Director, Bernardo’s
• Harriet Waugh, Self-Harm Policy and Distress Interventions, Scottish Government
• Jane Ford, Principal Public Health Intelligence Adviser, Public Health Scotland
• Philippa Balshaw, Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Scottish Youth Parliament
• Chris Byrne, Evaluation Advisor, Public Health Scotland
• Joanne Smith, Chair, Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Scotland
• Ffyona Taylor, Programme Lead, The Promise Scotland
• Jaki Lambert, Director, Royal College of Midwives
• Cheryl Burnett, Chair, National Parent Forum of Scotland
• Christina Buckton, Public Health Scotland

Apologies

• Laura Kerr, Social Work Scotland
• Carolyn McDonald, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer, Scottish Government
• Gillian McCluskey, Director of Centre for Research in Education, Inclusion and Diversity, Scottish Council of Deans of Education
• Gillian Hamilton, Chief Executive, Education Scotland
• Laura Meikle, Head of Support and Wellbeing Unit, Scottish Government
• Billy Anderson, Head of Services Participation & Policy, Children in Scotland
• Ollie Bray, Education Scotland
• Melanie Tsagalidou, Public Health Scotland
• Shannon Donoghue, Scottish Youth Parliament
• Suzanne Shields, Neurodiversity and CAMHS Lead, NHS Lanarkshire
• Vivienne Thomson, Children and Families Policy and Practice Lead, Social Work Scotland

Observers

• Peter Innes, Senior Policy Officer, Children and Young People’s Mental Health Team, Scottish Government
• Chloe Duffus, Head of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Delivery and Improvement, Scottish Government
• Hannah Worth Senior Policy Officer, Children and Young People’s Mental Health Team, Scottish Government
• Ally Winford, Unit Head, Strategy and Co-Ordination, Scottish Government
• Hannah Deane, Policy Advisor, Targeted Support Unit, Scottish Government

Secretariat

• Alastair Douglas, Administrative Officer, Children and Young Peoples Mental Health Team, Scottish Government

Items and actions

Welcome and Introductions

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

SGa invited any comments or amendments to the minute of the 17 September 2025 JSB meeting. No changes were requested so they were approved and will be published in on the SG website in due course.

Update on actions:

• following actions completed by Secretariat
  • circulate Steven Paxton’s presentation made at September 17 meeting with JSB
  • circulate Hannah Axon’s presentation from 17 September meeting with JSB
  • share the links to the Whole School Approach to Mental Health and Wellbeing and Mental Health in Schools Working Group: terms of reference with the JSB
• actions still ongoing
  • update to the JSB on progress regarding the Psychology workforce and enhanced support work being done with boards around demand for Psychological Therapies services will be given at the next JSB meeting in March 2026
  • Hannah Axon (HA) to meet with Mhairi MacPherson to discuss the overlap of the Mental Health in Schools Working Group with Early Years work

Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Public Health Scotland Evaluation Update

SGa invited Chris Bryne (CB) from Public Health Scotland (PHS) to present on the evaluation of perinatal and infant mental health services in Scotland.

CB provided a summary of the evaluation of the perinatal and infant mental health programme and evaluation of perinatal and infant mental health care in Scotland report. The evaluations are focused on the experiences of women who accessed maternity services as well as knowledge and experience of staff who delivered those services.

Discussion

• Mhairi Macpherson (MM) shared that the evaluation data correlated with what is being seen in early childhood development scores in recent years and matches some of the anecdotal feedback that has been heard through maternity and health visiting. This highlights link to early child development of perinatal and infant mental health
• Joanne Smith (JS) highlighted the utility of the evaluation as an evidence base that can be drawn on. The evidence base should be used to consider how we re-orientate capacity to ensure we are using resources where the evidence tells us it can have the biggest impact. The perinatal and infant mental health agenda can be seen as niche but it is critical to overall population health with the largest impact being the parent/infant relationship at the start of the child’s journey
• Roch Cantwell (RC) the raised the evidence shown around stigma and specialist and non-specialist training. Training is never done and needs to be continuous and addressing stigma is critical so the public are coming to get the help when they need it
• Ellen Moran (EM) noted and was surprised what they were finding from specialist staff around confidence/lack of confidence in key areas and that this needs to be looked into further
• Ashleigh Macauley (AM) agreed with points raised so far. Barriers around stigma and awareness of what services do and don’t do need to be broken down. Not getting it right for mothers and babies has long term impacts

SGa summed up the discussions;

• the evaluation report reflects experiences of the group and there is recognition of the findings shared
• it helps build a compelling evidence base that can be used in discussions to target stretched resources
• combatting stigma continues to be key
• training of specialist and non-specialist staff is always ongoing
• perinatal and infant mental health is a key strand of prevention and has a good strategic home in the context of the strategic renewal framework that focuses on early intervention

Actions

• Secretariat – Share presentation slides with JSB members

Supporting Children and Young People in Crisis Framework Update

SGa thanked the Barriers and Access to Support and Services Implementation Group who have been involved in the development of the framework. Harriet Waugh (HW) was invited present on the draft Framework for Supporting Children and Young People in Crisis The framework outlines the principles of what cohesive and effective support for children and young people experiencing mental health crisis should look like across Scotland.

Discussion

• Nicola Dickie (ND) raised a concern relating to the ownership of  the framework across the system and the role of specific services within it. For example, education may not be the right place to hold and support children in crisis for any length of time. What is the health contribution in the framework? There is a need to be mindful of the possibility of inappropriately pushing crisis support into universal preventative service spaces. ND also flagged concern about the timing of the publication of the framework, if published early in 2026, and how this aligns with budget processes. Unless there is a suitable resource package alongside the framework it will have limited credibility. There may need to be some reflection on timing.
• Carrie Lindsay (CL) asked if the crisis support outlined in the framework comes from universal services, as that may be a challenge for the services we currently have at a universal level. CL also stated the framework is referred to as being a tool to inform future policy development and guidance and asked what is the main purpose of the framework, who is it aimed at? CL also flagged the framework refers to a large number of other strategies and frameworks, which could cause confusion to universal service providers and school staff supporting someone in crisis. She suggested that GIRFEC needs to be set in a crisis context.  CL also asked a question in relation to how supervision mentioned in the framework will be delivered. She flagged that from an education perspective there has been discussion of supervision in universal services for some time for school staff, however it has not been possible to identify an appropriate supervision system.
• EM raised that there was no reference to Educational psychology services in the document and asked what is universal service, what is specialist service and what are we expecting of our schools? Additionally the multiple options given for staff training were lengthy and potentially confusing.
• Stephen McLeod (SMcL) stated getting GIRGEC right is important and he would like to see more support for colleagues in universal services in order to support children, young people and families where they are. A specialist service response should be available at the time its required and available at a single point of access where they are, which hasn’t always been the experience of families

• HW responded to comments that one of the key points coming across is the balance between community and specialist services. The variability of provision across Scotland can mean this balance looks varies across different areas. That balance has been a challenging aspect of creating the framework to ensure not all cases are pointed to specialist services without creaing an unfair burden on universal services.

Actions

• Secretariat – Share presentation slides with JSB members
• Stephen Gallagher & Nicola Dickie – meet or correspond regarding the timing of the publication of the framework especially around resourcing
• Whole Group – Submit any further comments to Harriet Waugh by mid-January

The Promise Mental Health Route Map

SGa invited Ffyona Taylor (FT) to present on The Promise Metal Health Route Map.

FT gave a verbal update on paper 3, the Mental Health Route Map which was circulated to the JSB prior to today’s meeting. FT thanked the JSB and the Barriers and Access to Support and Services Implementation Group for dedicating time to help develop the Plan 24-30 Mental Health Route Map.

Discussions

• JS highlighted the life cycle approach being taken. It would be helpful to have a distinct section on infant mental health
• Martin Crewe (MC) shared the experience at Barnardo’s where access to services being too late and inconsistent for young people which echoes with what is going on elsewhere. What is the gap between where we are now and meeting the goals of The Promise 2030?
• FT responded that they are positioning the route maps to be transparent about the distance needed to travel to meet The Promise goals and that transparency needs to be strengthened in places

Action

• Promise Scotland – The map will be published imminently following the Board meeting. 
• Whole group – consider the Mental Health Route Map (paper 3) and contact Ffyona Taylor with any comments by January. Comments are also welcome beyond this with the map intended to be iterative.

Update on the Joint Strategic Board Review

SGa invited Madihah Iqbal (MI) to update the JSB on the Joint Strategic Board Review currently underway. MI provided a short update on the ongoing review process and thanks members for their feedback to date. The review is on track to be completed by the end of January and will be a main agenda item for the next meeting in March.

AOB

SGa gave an update on the refresh of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan sharing that it will be refreshed on the other side of the upcoming May 2026 election.

Close

SGa thanked JSB members for their attendance at the meeting and for their work over 2025. Thanks were also given to the COSLA and SG Mental Health Directorate team for all the work that goes into sub groups and preparing the papers for these meetings.

The next meeting of the JSB will be held on Tuesday 17th March 2026.