Posted on: 25 November 2021
This is the story of a 13 year boy in crisis and how a fuller, complementary approach from the NHS and the third sector, brought about a much better result.
Read the full remarkable case study (opens in a PDF)
The boy – referred to as A – is 13 years old, with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder, learning disability, and developmental delay.
Compounded by difficulties at school, he was taken to A&E in a suicidal crisis; he felt overwhelmed with negative emotional pain.
Instead of bringing him into an NHS Specialist inpatient Unit, he was safely supported at home and has worked with Engage and the NHS with a remarkable – and inspiring result.
He is now much better; with no further crisis or thoughts of self harm or suicide.
Engage gave him the opportunity to build his confidence, social skills and emotional resilience, with sensory equipment and other tools to keep him calm
This stabilisation meant professionals were able to give him a good support package, and he is now thriving.
Allie Carr, Service Manager for CAMHS in Milton Keynes, said, “I wanted to share this, it’s about the work of Sarah Jackson, our Transforming Care Keyworker, working in collaboration with members of the Engage service. It’s really good news about one young person from our service and the impact that collaborative working has had for him and his family.”
Sarah Jackson, said, “As Transforming Care Keyworker sat within CAMHS it has been amazing to be able to collaborate with Engage around this young person and at such a fast pace so he had the support he needed.
“Transforming Care is for young people with ASD/LD who also have mental health problems or challenging behaviour to ensure they have support and provision in the community to keep them well and prevent admission to hospital.
“Being able to work with Harry and the Engage team around these complex young people building individualised bespoke support around them is transforming young people’s lives, all of the young people I have referred to Engage have had no further crisis presentations.
Harry James, Engage Lead, said, “Our work within Milton Keynes alongside Sarah from Transforming Care and CAMHS works with students linked to the more medical side of things, whether they are on the risk of admission to hospital or have recently left a unit, or are also working with CAMHS at a lower level and struggle more within a school setting.
“We work alongside schools and other services to provide young people with new life skills and opportunities, to highlight that these young people will always get a second chance and helping them to realise this.
“We are massively pleased with the collaboration between services as it has made the whole process of taking on a student and helping them move forwards in life as smooth as can be – the work of Sarah and Alli’s team and communication between us all has meant that this young person in particular as well as others has had new opportunities to show their potential in life.
“The Engage programme is run by the Northampton Saints Foundation, we currently have two sites in Northampton and opened up our MK site earlier this year at about Easter time. We are looking to open up our second hub within Milton Keynes due to the demand, and to be able to support more young people in this area; we have opened another Engage hub in Suffolk as of this academic year".
Read more ore on the Engage Team.