Posted on Tuesday 17th December 2019
Children and young people in Staffordshire will have access to online support for their emotional health and wellbeing, after having their say on support services.
Staffordshire County Council along with local Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) are putting together a new service for children and young people, so they can access the right support to maintain their emotional health and wellbeing.
More than 165 children and young people across the county were consulted earlier this year, to see what the new service needs to offer.
As a result of their feedback, a digital offer will be included in the service, to ensure they can access information, advice, guidance and even online counselling to complement face-to-face support.
Around 40% of all young people experience at least one mental health issue by the age of 16. With 225,000 children and young people living in Staffordshire, this means around 90,000 will experience an issue with their emotional health and wellbeing.
The new approach will mean more children and young people will have the choice and control to make healthier and safer choices in relation to their wellbeing.
County Councillor Mark Sutton, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People said:
“Enabling children and young people to live independently, achieve their aspirations and make a positive contribution to their community is really important. Poor emotional wellbeing in young people can seriously affect these outcomes, which is why we need to ensure they can access the right support to ensure their emotional wellbeing is maintained.
“By working with our partners in the CCGs we can make better use of digital, with access to online counselling, information, advice and support, reduce inconsistencies in our current arrangements, and ensure children and young people have access to the same service.”
Details of the new service will be discussed at Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet on December 18.