9 April 2026

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service's (CAMHS) “One Big Day” away day events brought together 200 colleagues from across Central and North West London NHS Trust (CNWL) to collaborate, reflect and help shape the future direction of CAMHS. Held across two days, the events created a shared space for staff from different teams and localities to connect, exchange ideas and contribute directly to the development of the evolving CAMHS strategy.

The agenda full of sessions, presentations and collaboative working. Colleagues took part in an interactive quiz and heard from senior leaders on key areas including integrated neighbourhood working, safeguarding, performance and quality improvement. Attendees also gained insight into national and local CAMHS priorities, emerging developments across boroughs and the strategic ambitions guiding our next phase of work.

A central feature of the day was a collaborative group exercise. Working in mixed teams, participants created short video pitches proposing ideas they felt should shape the future of CAMHS. This activity sparked thoughtful discussion, creativity and cross‑team collaboration, generating practical suggestions for improving services and outcomes for children, young people and families.

A highlight of the day was hearing from a Young Ambassador, who shared her personal experience of accessing CAMHS. Her reflections offered invaluable insight into how services can better meet the needs of children and young people.

Beyond the formal sessions, the away days provided valuable opportunities for colleagues to network, build relationships and strengthen a shared identity as one CAMHS community.

What colleagues told us
Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive:
•     96% rated the event as excellent or good
•     91% found the content helpful or very helpful

Staff particularly valued the chance to reconnect with colleagues, share ideas and gain a clearer understanding of the wider work happening across CAMHS. Many highlighted the positive atmosphere and the opportunity to learn from others.

“I found it really positive that staff were validated about the work they put into CAMHS and good progress is being made."

Overall, the CAMHS “One Big Day” events successfully brought colleagues together to celebrate progress, reflect on challenges and contribute meaningfully to shaping the next phase of our work. Most importantly, they reinforced our shared commitment to delivering compassionate, high‑quality, patient‑centred care for children, young people and families.