24 January 2019

On Monday, 29 January 2018, CNWL launched an Urgent Care Team for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). 

The Urgent Care Team has three hubs across the five north west London boroughs:

  • Brent/Harrow Hub
  • Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster Hub
  • Hillingdon Hub

These include the Out of Hours Service (4pm to 8am, and all day Saturday and Sunday)

The Team provides Rapid Response, prompt assessment, and intensive time-limited interventions for children and young people up to the age of 18 who are experiencing an acute mental health or emotional crisis.

When safe to do so, the team transfer children and young people using the service to the local CAMHS Team for follow-up care and treatment. 

We are so proud of what we have achieved in Year One:

  • We have recruited, trained and retained over 12 Staff Nurses, Social Workers, Occupational Therapists and Support Workers to offer the extended service.
  • Hillingdon Hub have been able to prevent a number of children from attending A&E in crisis when they didn’t need to go there, by offering them assessments at the team base.
  • KCW Hub have been able to offer supported discharge and intensive support to a number of children who would have otherwise remained in an inpatient bed, out of area.
  • Brent/Harrow Hub have managed 60 to 100 referrals a month with a team of three practitioners
  • Referrals to Out of Hours Support increased by 80%.
  • 81% of children and young people assessed in A&E by our Out of Hours Team are now going home to be seen the next day by the Urgent Care Team (compared to 41% a year ago).

Nicola Chainey, Service Manager, said, “A huge well done to all of the staff for their hard work and dedication to the team and young people we have worked with. We are looking forward to the next year and phase two, focusing on intensive support and home treatment.”