Bucks Article 12 Forum has been involved in helping to highlight to management that the new CAMHS waiting area in High Wycombe was inappropriate and not fit for purpose. This waiting room was used as an adult mental health centre; this setting was not suitable for the children and young people who were attending for their CAMHS appointment. The group came up with ideas on how the waiting area could be designed in a way that was welcoming for young people using it.
Co-Production
From start: Yes
During process: Yes
In evaluation: Yes
Evaluation
Peer: No
Academic: No
PP Collaborative: Yes
Find out more
Carla Paice, Participation Lead Bucks CAMHS, Barnados
Bucks Article 12 Forum has been involved in helping to highlight to management that the new CAMHS waiting area in High Wycombe was inappropriate and not fit for purpose. This waiting room was used as an adult mental health centre; this setting was not suitable for the children and young people who were attending for their CAMHS appointment. The group came up with ideas on how the waiting area could be designed in a way that was welcoming for young people using it.
With some support, the group put together a report with their views on the current state of the waiting area and their ideas on how to improve it and from this they were encouraged to put in an application to charitable funds. The group applied for money to cover the cost of painting walls and doors in fresh, warm colours, they also commissioned Artscape to help them with producing their own personalised art work featuring their favourite positive quotes on, the group also researched furniture which could be purchased as well as door number stickers so that each door was labelled with a number instead of therapy room, medical room etc. They took part in planning meetings with art scape, a charity within oxford health.
The young people from Article 12 were successful in applying for the funding from charitable funds and went on to complete the re-design of the CAMHS waiting area in High Wycombe. The group were so dedicated that they gave up their weekends to help with producing art work and they were also their helping with painting the walls etc.
Outcomes
This has had an amazing impact to the children and young people who have attended the centre. We got some amazing feedback from the young people.
Such as:
• “very nice, more welcoming, brighter and relaxing. Always enjoy the radio!”
• “love the 3-D effect on door number 3”
• It looks absolutely brilliant- so much more interesting and less clinical.”
• “The CAMHS waiting area is calming and helps reduce my anxiety”
The space has been so well received that they are now working on being able to try and gain funding and support with doing a similar makeover to the other CAMHS centres in Aylesbury and Amersham (Bucks).
Article 12 has also taken on the challenge of looking for funding to design a new courtyard/outside space at Harlow House to transform it in to a therapeutic environment for young people to spend time in if overwhelmed in an appointment and needing to have some time out. They have spent time researching what would be calming and relaxing for young people struggling with anxiety or ASD.
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This is just one example of some of the amazing projects that Article 12 Youth Forum are involved in that has had a huge impact on the community and service users accessing CAMHS.
