The Looked After and Adopted Children (LAAC) Service is a targeted mental health service which is part of Salford CAMHS. The service provides tailored care and access to evidence-based interventions for children and young people and their families and carers including cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), eye-movement and desensitisation and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), psychotherapy, systemic family therapy, solution focused therapy, Parent-Child Game, Trauma-focused CBT and integrative psychological approaches. The service works with looked after children, adopted children, and provides the CAMH post in the focus therapeutic fostering team.
Co-Production
From start: No
During process: Yes
In evaluation: No
Evaluation
Peer: No
Academic: Yes
PP Collaborative: No
Find out more
Dawn Walker - Clinical Lead, Consultant Systemic Family Therapist -
The Looked After and Adopted Children (LAAC) Service is a targeted mental health service which is part of Salford CAMHS. The service provides tailored care and access to evidence-based interventions for children and young people and their families and carers including cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), eye-movement and desensitisation and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), psychotherapy, systemic family therapy, solution focused therapy, Parent-Child Game, Trauma-focused CBT and integrative psychological approaches. The service works with looked after children, adopted children, and provides the CAMH post in the focus therapeutic fostering team. They also provide intensive and crisis community intervention and 7-day crisis follow up when required. The team refer children and young people to psychiatry colleagues in Salford CAMHS where necessary and will case-manage for these children and young people.
Access
The service does not operate a wait list and deliver timely care for children and young people (the mean and median wait for assessment and treatment is 21 days). The service can be accessed from health and from children’s services. Young people aged 13+ can self-refer and re-refer to the service and children, families and carers can be seen at a range of locations to meet their needs.
Transitions
Additional support is offered during potentially difficult transitions for children and young people such as intensive home treatment for those returning to their families from care, and working closely with the pathway planning teams for care leavers and those transitioning to adult services. A step-down approach is also used to support discharge for all children, young people, family and carers, with some families seen 3 monthly prior to full discharge.
Multiagency and multidisciplinary working and collaboration
The service is co-located within the Salford’s Children’s Services building alongside social workers and the looked after and adopted children’s social care and education teams, enabling co-ordinated and integrated working. They also engage in joint working with Core CAMHS to provide some services such as DBT for self-harm. They provide consultation and support to others working with looked after children including residential child care, outreach and youth workers, foster carers and youth mentors.
Co-production and participation
Young people have been involved in co-design of the service, including consultation on information letters, annual reports and an animation film about mental health with Salford Fight for Change Council.
Outcomes
The LAAC service outcomes are monitored and reviewed quarterly using a mix of quantitative and qualitative data. Use of CYP-IAPT measures provide outcome data from service users, including young people, carers, birth families and other professionals.
Further details
Commissioning
Jointly commissioned by Salford CCG and Salford Children’s Services
Providers
Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Salford City Council
Workforce (whole time equivalent)
0.6 clinical psychologist (8b), 0.4 psychotherapist (band 7), 0.8 family therapist & clinical lead (8c), 1 mental health nurse (band 7), 3 social workers, 0.8 senior child mental health practitioner 8b), 1.6 senior child mental health practitioner (band 7) and 0.9 admin (band 3 and 4)
Population size
Whole population – 248726, under 18 – 54881 (Office of National Statistics 2016 mid-year population estimates for Salford)
Caseload
In 2015/16 the team saw 304 children and young people (not including the Incredible Years Parenting programme).
Prevention and resilience – universal and early intervention for at risk
In-reach, inpatient and residential
Access and advice – consultation lines, triage and signposting
