ADHD medication shortage

We are continuing to experience difficulties with the supply of ADHD medication. We know this has caused problems for many of children, young people and families to source.

This is a national alert due to global demand that we have no influence over. Unfortunately, our services have no solution to this. We advise you to make a request for a repeat prescription in plenty of time. This allows pharmacies more time to try to source supplies. Individual clinicians who review children and young people do not have any additional access to medication.

Our advice during the period of supply disruption is to ring individual pharmacies to ask if they have stocks of the medication. This could mean contacting several pharmacies, which we appreciate is frustrating and time consuming. Our services are unable to do this for you, as this would negatively impact the time allocated to see each child in clinic.

We hope we will be back to normal supply status soon. The disruption is expected until at least the end of 2023.

Useful links

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) delivers a range of teams for children and young people and covers the spectrum of ages 0 to 18 years old.

The different teams offer consultation and evidence-based interventions based on the level of mental health need that children and young people present with. This also depends on the children, young people, and their carers readiness to engage with what our teams can offer.

Our teams deliver a range of I-thrive support and interventions across the domains of getting advice, getting help, getting more help, and getting risk support. Find out more information on the I-thrive model.

I-thrive-model

BLOOM

BLOOM is an early intervention consultation model. The model proactively promotes maintaining the positive social, emotional, mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.

Our key aim is to help to build resilience and empower children, young people (and the adults in their lives) to get the help they need, when they need it. BLOOM supports in the earlier identification and actioning of support to address emerging signs and symptoms of emotional and mental distress.

Designed to provide a rapid response for children and young people aged 5 to 18, BLOOM works by finding ways to support the network already in place around the child or young person.

How can BLOOM help my family?

Some of the things we may be able to support with:

  • mild to moderate difficulties with behaviour
  • dysregulation, difficulties in recognising and managing emotions
  • persistent feelings of anxiety stress and worry
  • disengaging from school, general lack of interest
  • difficulties in establishing and maintaining relationships with friends and/or family
  • lack of interest in participating in activities

Referrals for BLOOM

If you have concerns about the wellbeing of your child or young person, as a first step speak to your mental health lead at school. Yo can also speak to any other professional known to you and your family, such as a GP or youth worker. They will talk through the presenting difficulties and can either offer you additional support, and/or refer you to BLOOM.

CAMHS Access Team

Contact the team

Email the CAMHS Access Team or call 01209 881 600. The team are available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

About the team

The CAMHS Access Team is a county wide, multi-disciplinary team. We are the main front door into CAMHS and sit within the Getting Advice quadrant of i-Thrive. Our mission is to support young people to access the right support, at the right time.

We work closely with the wider CAMHS network, Early Help Hub, Multi-Agency Referral Unit and other partner agencies to establish the most appropriate care pathway for the young person. There is no wrong front door.

All referrals are carefully considered to ensure where the needs of the young person will most appropriately be met and our recommendations maybe for a service within CAMHS, a CAMHS-commissioned community-based service, other NHS services, or services provided by Cornwall Council.

Referrals

Referrals are triaged within specific time frames by our experienced clinicians. We use the CAMHS eligibility criteria and the i-Thrive model to establish where the young person’s needs will be best met.

It is essential that the referral form is populated with as much detail as possible and that appropriate consent is obtained. Young people do also need to be registered with a GP in Cornwall to be eligible for support with their mental health.

Referrals are received from a variety of sources, but are most often made by parents, carers, the young person themselves or professionals involved with the young person, providing that appropriate consent is provided. Young people over the age of 13 can normally consent for themselves. If you have any queries around this, contact the CAMHS Access Team.

Make a referral to the CAMHS Access Team. Email completed forms to the CAMHS Access Team. We are unable to accept referrals over the phone.

If your request is for a neurodevelopmental assessment, these are processed by the Neurodevelopmental Access Team.

Other CAMHS teams

As well as the Access Team, there are several other teams within the service. Each team has its own webpage, which can be accessed in the menu bar in the left. If the page is not listed, it is because we are currently developing the page, please check back again soon.

CAMHS Learning Disabilities Team

I-thrive domains: Getting help. Getting more help. Getting risk support.

Work with need with learning disability and a co-morbid moderate to severe mental health level for ages 5 to 18 years old. There are 2 multi-disciplinary teams located west and east for the county.

Kernow and Isles of Scilly Key Workers

I-thrive domain: Getting risk support.

Work with young people with a diagnosis of autism and learning disability who are open to another CAMHS team for their mental health need and are presenting at risk of inpatient care.

Locality Team

I-thrive domains: Getting help. Getting more help. Getting risk support.

Work with moderate to severe mental health level need. There are 6 multi-disciplinary teams across the 6 locality areas of Cornwall.

Mental Health Support Team

I-thrive domain: Getting help.

Work with primary aged children and their carers in the school setting. Referrals into the team are led through the individual schools they are working with, being the one exception to the CAMHS Access Team.

Multi-agency Rapid Response Service

I-thrive domain: Getting risk support.

Supports young people in crisis in a holistic way joined up with social care. This service webpage is located under children’s services as it is a dual agency service.

Primary Mental Health Team

I-thrive domain: Getting help.

Work with children and young people aged 5 to 18 with a moderate level of mental health need or less. This is a countywide team with clinicians working across the 6 locality areas in Cornwall.

Thriving Together Team

I-thrive domains: Getting help. Getting more help. Getting risk support.

Delivers the service to children aged 0- 5 years old and their carers.

Sowenna

I-thrive domain: Getting risk support.

Our CAMHS inpatient unit for ages 13 to 18 years old who are unable to keep themselves safe in the community and need the most intensive level of service input. Visit the Sowenna website for more information.

Service feedback

If you would like to help us celebrate good practice in our service, you can submit a WOW Award nomination for a member of staff or team. We would value any positive feedback you would be happy to share.

If you feel dissatisfied with the service we are providing, you are welcome to submit a complaint via our Patient Advice and Liaison Service.

Video appointments

We provide video appointments using Attend Anywhere. Join your appointment by video.

Resources and videos

Out-of-hours-support

If you are in crisis, or know someone else that needs help, call our free 24/7 mental health helpline on 0800 038 5300.

  • Childline is a counselling service for children and young people. Call 0800 1111.
  • Kooth: Free, safe and anonymous online support for young people. Open Monday to Friday, midday to 10pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 6pm to 10pm.
  • Nightlink: An emotional support helpline. Call 0808 800 0306 or text 07717 989 021. The helpline is open 5pm to midnight.
  • Mental Health Matters: Call 0800 001 4430. Open 5pm to 9am weekdays and 24 hours a day on weekends and bank holidays.
  • The Mix: Call their 24/7 helpline on 0808 808 4994.
  • Papyrus: Call 0800 068 4141 if you have concerns about suicide either for yourself or for someone else. The helpline is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm, evenings 7pm to ;10pm and weekends 2pm to 5pm. You can also text 07786 209 697 or email Papyrus.
  • Samaritans: Talk to the Samaritans if things are getting to you. Call 116 123 free 24/7.
  • Stay Alive app: A pocket suicide prevention resource for the UK, packed full of useful information and tools to help you stay safe in crisis.

Downloads

Resources

  • MindEd is a free educational resource on children and young people’s mental health for all adults.
  • Mind Your Way helps young people in Cornwall find more information about mental health, emotional wellbeing, and how to get help.
  • Young Minds is a charity committed to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people.

Videos