Ren10 Update ECSPB
Renfrewshire Council · 18 August 2022
Back to Education and Children's Services Policy Board — 18 August 2022 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Page 1 of 7 To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 18 August 2022 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Ren10 Update ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1. This purpose of this report is to update the board on the Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership Children and Young People Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy. This strategy is now known across Renfrewshire and beyond as Ren10. 1.2. Ren10 is a community mental health and wellbeing network developed to support children, young people and families ensuring they get the right type of support at the right time by the right people to prevent small issues affecting wellbeing escalating into big problems. Ren10 offers early level mental health and wellbeing support in our communities to support mental health recovery in a way that is personal to each individual's journey, and which focuses on their rights. 1.3. Ren10 involves partners working collaboratively to deliver a system-wide provision of mental health and wellbeing. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1. The Education and Children’s Services Policy Board is asked to note the contents of the report. ___________________________________________________________________
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Page 2 of 7 3 Background 3.1 In March 2020 the Scottish Government published a draft framework that specifically addressed the issue of establishing or developing community supports and services that target issues of mental and emotional distress and wellbeing rather than mental illness and other needs that should be met by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). 3.2 The Covid-19 pandemic has affected every single person in Renfrewshire Council. Many have been anxious or worried about health, family and friends, and changes to our way of life. Inequalities play a significant role in this, and we know that the mental health impact of Covid-19 will not have been felt equally across Scotland. 3.2 Supporting pandemic recovery with ‘New and Enhanced Services’ funding, the Scottish Government set out to: assist local partnerships with the commissioning and establishment of new local community mental health and wellbeing supports or services; develop existing supports or services, including school counselling resource to better meet the needs of children and young people and their families as we begin to move on from the pandemic. 3.3 The Renfrewshire Children’s Service Partnership strategy document was distributed in August 2021 with clear improvement targets detailed. Since then, there has been significant stakeholder engagement to shape the service. The name changed to Ren10 as a result of the engagement with children and young people. Through the coordination of specific workstreams Ren10 was launched in March 2022. This early or Tier 2 help has at its heart, the co-ordination of existing services, the avoidance of replication and improved communication across services for the benefit of service users. 3.4 In Renfrewshire we want our children and young people and families to get the right help, at the right time, to prevent small issues affecting wellbeing escalating into big problems. We want our service users to expect recovery, to fully enjoy their rights, free from discrimination and stigma. By working together with partners, Ren10 aims to deliver a system-wide provision of mental health and wellbeing supports for all, at the level of early intervention. In summary the aims of Ren10 are to: ensure that children and young people and their families get our help when they need it from a skilled network of appropriately trained staff; support peer and family relationships to make them stronger and safer, protect wellbeing, and build ‘belonging’ within families and communities; and listen to and act on the views of children and young people and their families about their needs and to use this information to shape our future services. ___________________________________________________________________
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Page 3 of 7 4. Progress 4.1 There have been a range of early supports developed to provide a service to our children and young people and their families. These include universal supports such as Shout and Togetherall or more targeted approaches to support individuals and families. 4.2 Shout 24/7 text-based support service Shout is a universal support service which is delivered through text messages. This service is directed at anyone, of any age. This service is part of the Ren10 space and is used UK wide. Once someone has texted “Ren10” to 85258 the texter will then receive an automated text asking them about the nature of their problem. This text will also let them know that the individual is being connected to a trained Shout Volunteer. Texting this service is anonymous and does not show up on the service user’s bill. The aim of this service is that support is provided within five minutes and therefore it supports people of all ages who are in immediate distress. It empowers the service user to access support and techniques to take their next steps to feeling better and to build resilience to cope with future issues. It is also a signposting service as it can direct the texter onto other support services or their GP for long term care. 4.3 Togetherall Togetherall is a free, safe anonymous, online community to support mental health. Anyone from the ages of 16+ can register for support by using their Renfrewshire postcode. Togetherall helps by enabling the service user to take control of their mental health and to start to feel better. Togetherall is a global 24/7 community of ordinary people, moderated and supported by clinical professionals, where people can get (or give) the mental health support they need. In addition to the online community, service users will have access to a wealth of useful resources and can work through tailored self-help courses covering topics such as anxiety, sleep, weight management, depression etc. 4.4 Schools, doctor’s surgeries, counselling services etc. can all signpost children, young people and families to Shout and Togetherall and because these are universally available 24/7 service users can also self-direct. The Ren10 website provides links to these services. 4.5 Ren10 also provides targeted support and for these types of support there are referral pathways. The easiest way to access any support whether universal or targeted is to go to the “get help” section of the Ren10 website and fill in the form. 4.6 Let’s Introduce Anxiety Management (LIAM) LIAM is a training and intervention package based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). LIAM was developed by NHS Education for Scotland and is being offered in various authorities across Scotland. Within the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area, this is delivered by the NHS Early Intervention Training in Psychological Skills (EL-TIPS) team. LIAM is designed to help
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Page 4 of 7 children and young people aged between 8-18 years who are experiencing milder difficulties with anxiety. It supports them to learn more about anxiety, including how anxiety is linked with our thoughts, physical sensations and our actions. It also helps children and young people find ways to cope with feelings of anxiety. Overall, 30 people have been trained to delivery LIAM in Renfrewshire including members of the Home Link Team. There will be a further 22 people trained in Renfrewshire by April 2023. These people will be school based and will be a mixture of teaching and support staff from two of our secondary schools. School staff from both of the secondaries will also benefit from a general awareness raising training on how through their classroom practice they can reduce anxiety as part of the delivery of their lessons. All staff who are trained in LIAM are supported through supervision to ensure they provide an effective service. LIAM so far: 14 young people have completed the LIAM intervention, 23 are currently engaging with LIAM and 5 have disengaged from the programme Children who have engaged with the LIAM intervention have reported reduced levels of anxiety. 4.7 Non-Violence Resistance Training (NVR) NVR is primarily an approach for parents, based on non-violent resistance principles, aimed at supporting young people who display violent, risk-taking, and aggressive or self-destructive behaviours. NVR focusses on supporting the needs of the adult to support the child’s needs, by building their capacity and treating them as individuals. The approach offers practical strategies to increase parental/professional presence, confidence and rebuild relationships with the child/young person and reduce violent behaviour in a way that is non-violent and without escalation. The NVR approach fits with the knowledge base and theory behind our local authority wide intervention Renfrewshire’s Nurturing Relationships Approach (RNRA) which is implemented in most establishments. Renfrewshire is one of the first local authorities in Scotland to implement NVR and coordinate this through a community mental health and wellbeing network 181 practitioners and 21 support staff have been trained in NVR and there are plans to increase the number of trainers. As a result, practitioners have; increased confidence in managing and de-escalating distressed and distressing behaviour; more knowledge & understanding of anxiety/trauma responses; and developed practical strategies for de-escalation and rebuilding/repairing relationships.
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Page 5 of 7 Since February 2021, 88 parents have accepted a place on an NVR parenting group. Through the development of case studies, we have been able to understand the impact of NVR on families. Some common impact themes include: through the use of learned de-escalation strategies and nurturing approaches, strengthened attachment between children, class teachers and support staff; strengthened relationships and improved communication between home and school; improved school attendance and attendance at extra-curricular clubs; improved peer relationships inside and outside of school; calmer family dynamics at home leading to improved lifestyle changes; and improvements to managing distressed behaviour in terms of approaches taken. We have a dedicated lead officer who will be taking forward and further embedding NVR and LIAM throughout our localities. 4.8 Using technology to support trauma informed practice Through Ren10, 12 Virtual Reality (VR) headsets have been purchased which can be used to enhance training and development in a range of topics such as the impact of childhood trauma and domestic violence. The programme allows practitioners, parents / carers, children and young people to have a truly immersive and interactive experience enhancing engagement, learning and development. The first pilot will be delivered in Children and Families Social Work and used to deliver Attachment, Neuroscience & the Impact of Trauma training. This will be particularly useful for newly qualified social workers. 4.9 Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities (EPEC) EPEC is a community-based programme, training local parents to run parenting groups (in pairs) through early years and parenting focused services. Parent facilitators trained to work in the EPEC programme are volunteers, supported and supervised by specially trained practitioners. Developed and tested by the UK Centre for Parent and Child Support (UK CPCS, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust). EPEC parent course encompass theoretical knowledge and practical skills helpful in supporting parents and enabling children to flourish. EPEC’s peer- led approach extends the reach and scope of parenting support beyond traditional practitioner-led approaches. Our first group of nine parent volunteers from across Renfrewshire completed 10 weeks of EPEC Parent Group Leader training in May and are currently working towards accreditation by August. These Parent Group Leaders will then deliver the core course “Being a Parent” for parents with children aged between 2 to 11. The first groups will deliver in Johnstone and Linwood at the end of August progressing to other areas from October. The “Being a Parent” course is delivered in 8 two-hour sessions and uses attachment, social learning, family system, relational and social learning theories and
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Page 6 of 7 approaches. This again articulates with our Renfrewshire Nurturing Relationships Approaches programme which is embedded in most of our schools. 4.10 Measuring impact is an important role of the workstream leads within Ren10. Quantitative outcomes are measured for Scottish Government returns with an understanding that numbers of service users will grow as the portfolio is embedded. In addition, the Mental Health Foundation supports evaluation through peer researchers. 4.11 In January 2022, a progress report was submitted to Scottish Government. At that time, over 1000 children and young people had accessed the range of supports listed above through Ren10 and over 80 parents had been supported. 4.12 The next steps for Ren10 will be to continue to develop approaches to supporting families and communities and will aim to continue to ensure that demand for provision is met and that supports are appropriately coordinated and embedded. There will also be a focus on linking the Ren10 supports with the wider work related to the refresh of Getting it Right for Every Child which has a focus on early and effective interventions for our children and young people. There will be regular updates to the board with regards to this work. Implications of this report 1. Financial None. 2. HR and Organisational Development None. 3. Community/Council Planning Our Renfrewshire is fair - Tackling inequality, ensuring opportunities for all - Working together to improve outcomes - 4. Legal None. 5. Property/Assets None. 6. Information Technology None. 7. Equality and Human Rights No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of
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Page 7 of 7 individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report because it is for noting only. If required, prior to implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health and Safety None. 9. Procurement None. 10. Risk None. 11. Privacy Impact None. 12. Cosla Policy Position Not applicable. 13. Climate Risk None. List of Background Papers Background Paper 1: Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership Children and Young People Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy. The foregoing background papers will be retained within children’s services for inspection by the public for the prescribed period of four years from the date of the meeting. The contact officer within the service is Lauren Johnston, Service Improvement Manager, 0141 618 4023, lauren.johnston@renfrewshire.gov.uk. ___________________________________________________________________ Children’s Services LJ 20/7/22 Author: Lauren Johnston, Service Improvement Manager, 0141 618 4023.