Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board have awarded Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust a three-year contract to provide mental health support in schools across Norfolk and Waveney.

Mental Health Support Teams help young people to understand how to tackle some of the challenges they experience. They focus on support for good mental health, helping them to feel more resilient. And arming them with techniques to look after themselves and help them cope better with life’s ups and downs.

The teams also provide support and guidance to parents and teachers. Providing them with the skills to help young people experiencing difficulties. This includes support through training, workshops, and consultation.

There are currently mental health support teams in Kings Lynn, North Norfolk, Lowestoft, South Norfolk, Norwich, and Breckland. Each team supports between 10-12 schools, with a student population of around 7,000.

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust will take over the contract from Ormiston Families. The two organisations will work together to ensure that there is no disruption to the support available to young people and schools. Additionally, they will now start recruiting staff for two new teams to work with young people in schools in Great Yarmouth and Broadland from January 2023.

Rebecca Hulme, Associate Director of Children, Young People, and Maternity for NHS Norfolk and Waveney said:

“I would like to congratulate Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust on their successful bid. They have been providing mental health support in schools across Cambridgeshire for a number of years. They also deliver the Healthy Child Programme and Speech and Language Therapy support for children and young people in Norfolk and Waveney. I am pleased that this knowledge of our local communities and experience in delivering mental health support in schools will further benefit young people across Norfolk and Waveney, enabling them to Flourish.

“I’d also like to thank Ormiston Families for developing the current teams and for their valuable support over the last two years”

John Peberdy, Children’s Services Director of Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust said: “We are delighted to be awarded the contract to deliver Mental Health Support Teams across Norfolk and Waveney. As the current provider of health visiting, school nursing and other community health services across these areas, we welcome the opportunity to support children, young people, and families with mild to moderate mental health needs.

“Our experience of successfully delivering Mental Health Support Teams across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will enable us to work effectively with local schools and colleges to ensure children and young people receive earlier access to interventions, building on the achievements already delivered by Ormiston Families.”

Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System have been awarded funding from NHS England for 10 mental health support teams in total. The final two teams, which will work with schools in Norwich and Waveney will be in place in January 2024.

Cllr Bill Borrett, Chair of the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) said: “We know that children’s mental health can impact every aspect of their lives – their education, relationships, and their physical health.

“We want to get help to children and young people as early as possible so that their needs do not escalate, and they can enjoy a happy and healthy childhood. Getting more support into schools is key to this and I’m sure that Cambridgeshire Community Service NHS Trust will bring use their wealth of experience to benefit our young people.”