Why are CAMHs still not doing face to face if hairdressers are open and schools are functioning with bubbles of 15?

[WatchingBees]

Really don’t understand why children are still not getting much needed face to face sessions for 1 child at a time but hairdressers are open and schools have functioned with 15 at a time.

Maybe it's down to the Trust.
My dd has been having socially distanced meetings for 3 weeks now.
They either come to the house and sit out the garden or go for a distanced walk.

She has been offered phone or Zoom type meetings but wouldn't entertain that.
I can't fault CAMHS for persevering in ways to engage with her.

Where does the meeting usually take place?

If in school, is it closed to visitors?
Are home visits not allowed yet?

It’s a pretty important assessment and treatment after that. Ds has refused to come to phone several times previous as really struggling and doesn’t feel secure enough to engage in phone calls or Zoom.

So some trusts are then.

CAMHS is total rubbish anyway so they might as well never open again. Bitter and twisted. Absolutely.

Well yes, we’ve had shit all the way through,too lengthy to list but the couldn’t give a shit attitude re this is appalling. I blame both CAMHs and the gov.

Gov moved heaven and earth to open hair dressers, pubs and nail bars but not services for children struggling with mental health. I guess they don’t bring in the cash.

CAMHs already have long waiting lists you’d think they’d want to get a move on over the holidays to make a start on the inevitable bigger backlog that will be there when children go back to school.

All mental health services are crap here, adult provision is even worse if you can even imagine it. However, face to face appointments resumed here a few weeks ago, it seems it is down to trust level, but if there's someone you can contact for a justification of why they haven't bothered (or maybe local MP?), you might get some ridiculous excuse.

Sorry, my previous post was not helpful. Yes, absolutely they should be opening up CAMHS as a priority because the waiting lists were far too long even before this crisis and only can be longer now. It is also a discipline of relatively minor risk to patient or doctor as there was minimal (none in my ds's cases) physical contact and the office was completely separate from any other NHS service (this might not be the same everywhere).

Many reasons such as

1. reduced staff, some may have been redeployed (for example to Covid testing services), others may be shielding, there’s likely to be some off sick or self isolating due to contact.
2. venues, as transmission in healthcare settings has been significant there are restrictions on spreading appointments to reduce crossover in waiting rooms, cleaning rooms between patients etc which means less capacity, space will have been prioritised. Other venues (schools, children’s centres) may be closed or not allow other agencies to use their facilities at the moment. Home visits, well not everyone has a clean home...
3. face to face isn’t always needed when voice to ear will do, it sounds like you have been offered phone or video consultations. Some will prefer this as much as it doesn’t suit you, it will definitely mean more appointments can be fitted into the day.

@nex18 so there's a shortage of MH staff and some have been deployed to testing covid patients, that's inexcusable. There are plenty of government owned buildings, the government and local authorities have the power to open them on a limited basis. Calls might be fine for some, for a lot of people it isnt, as MH professionals they will understand this, surely. We need to stop excusing people being abandoned when they need support and help as acceptable because of cOvId.

I was under the impression they were still working. They are in our area, socially distant meetings for urgent cases.

These factors are true for many other businesses and they have opened up which is why the OP is complaining. We gave up on CAMHS for ds2 a long time ago but given he has been totally unable to access any education via video or phone (I tell a lie he did manage one 5 minute conversation with one tutor before putting the phone down) I do not think it at all likely that he would have been able to access video or phone consultations with CAMHS and I strongly suspect that he would not be the only child unable to do this.

All of ds appointments are still happening virtually. It’s not ideal but it’s about keeping everyone safe.

But the issue is that people attending appointments and the staff may be much more vulnerable so places understandably need to keep numbers to a minimum.

That is appalling if they are redeploying from mental health. The mental health impact on youngsters and previous shortages have been widely reported.

CAMHs acknowledged to me that many teens won’t engage with phone calls. My ds has real trust issues re opening up, no way on Earth phone calls with background noise would work. He refused because he’s mentally ill. The phone conversations I have had with CAMHs complete with background noise have been really poor quality.

i doubt they have been redeployed to testing stations, mental health is not physical health.

Redeploying illustrates the true gov opinion of child and teen mental health. Wish they’d be honest instead of attempting to relay they actually give a shit.

they wont have been redeployed. they will still be working virtually.

If the staff are shielding they won't be available for face to face.

If the staff are shielding they won't be available for face to face.

So incorrect post from previous poster. Hope you’re right as it illustrates a poor attitude towards mental health if not.

Schools have staff shielding.

A blanket we’re not doing face to face isn’t needed for a few shielding staff.

Shielding restrictions have been lifted somewhat too. I’m talking about now not the beginning of lockdown.

It's doubtful all staff are shielding. It's just one of those things that isn't prioritised in this country, it's woeful.

We must be very lucky as my daughter had telephone appointments up until mid June and now back to face to face twice a week

They are totally shit anyway and really not worth the wait.

I'm about to start a 2.5 year wait to get my dd assessed for asd... half tempted just to live with about her life is about spectacularly fall apart.

Do you have money to go private? I know that's a shitty reply but if you can it's better than the damage that's done while waiting.

I was told 14 months ago that the disability team of camhs had a 6 month waiting list, still no appointment.

Other child was referred urgently. His took 8 months and discharged at assessment.

Then told after another 6 month wait for triage that there is two year wait in my county to see a Phyc- so the triage nurse will do his therapy as she said its pointless joining the list