Cyflwynwyd yr ymateb hwn i ymgynghoriad y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg ar Flaenoriaethau'r Chweched Senedd
This response was submitted to the Children, Young People and Education Committee consultation on Sixth Senedd Priorities
CYPE SP 56
Ymateb gan: Raglen Wella Law yn Llaw at Blant a Phobl Ifanc (2).
Response from: Together for Children and Young People (2) Programme _______________________________________________________________________________
Whilst we acknowledge that the headings listed in the consultation proforma may help organise your priorities, for the purposes of setting out our vision of a whole system response, it was more straight forward to put the information together. One of the principles of the T4CYP Programme is to put the babies, children, young person, parents, carers and wider family at the centre of a Whole Systems Approach, which includes education, health, social care and the third sector co-producing, collaborating and designing support that moves away from silo thinking, planning and delivery of services. We have attached our three documents and animation which outlines the principles of the NYTH/NEST Framework. The Neurodevelopmental Workstream fits within this Whole System Approach, recognising a holistic view of the child throughout their development and moving to a strengths based, ‘difference not disorder’ way of offering support.
The T4CYP Programme is in its second phase, following an initial four year term which focused on enhancing specialist services. Phase 2 has been developed to focus on the Whole System Approach and in particular the creation of three workstreams: Early Help and Enhanced Support, Neurodevelopmental and Partnership Implementation. This work has been heavily influenced by the Committee’s landmark report Mind Over Matter and subsequent review document. It is also influenced by the No Wrong Door Report and the Whole School Approach Framework. T4CYP has worked alongside the Ministerial Task and Finish Group which has been instrumental in supporting these developments and how they fit with the NYTH/NEST Framework.
At the 11th meeting of the Ministerial Task and Finish Group, the T4CYP Team updated members on how we can work as a whole system to improve outcomes for our children and young people in Wales. The narrative related to T4CYP high level strategic approaches and how these will translate into concrete actions. We also demonstrated the close and interconnected relationship between the three workstreams within T4CYP.
A child is a child first and foremost regardless of their mental health needs and or neurodiversity, many of whom will have additional and overlapping complexities, i.e., neurodevelopmental disorders, Autism, ALN/Education and ACES/Trauma. They will all benefit from the NYTH/NEST approach across every aspect of their lives and may also require a thoughtful interface and timely access to a range of specialist support.
The NYTH/NEST Framework promotes evidence informed cultural shift in the approach to wellbeing support, with the concrete offer for neurodiversity being a digital assessment platform that supports the timely delivery of assessment in line with the National standards for ND assessment. The programme is now in its implementation phase and is encouraging a partnership based delivery of the framework via Regional Partnership Boards (RPBs).
With this in mind, we would appreciate the Committee considering the following as priorities in terms of scrutinising how Welsh government consider and address these themes:
· Policy Alignment - The development of a lifespan Whole System Approach that reflects our increasing understanding of the interaction between factors that are internal and external to the individual. This alignment would support both the evidence regarding the interaction between our genetic risk and our environment in terms of lifetime outcomes and provide a unified approach to workforce, training and delivery.
· The steps taken to address resources required to sustain current provision and emerging long-term demand – this relates to delivery beyond discussion relating to funding formulas for immediate and longer-term delivery of services across Wales. The approach for neurodevelopmental differences would require a balanced investment in both the universal NYTH/NEST modelled approaches and the specialist elements of assessment and intervention - both are essential and impact each other. The concrete enablers to this work include the ND Digital Platform that will provide a mechanism to support the implementation of the national ND standards, thereby addressing access, quality, consistency, efficiency, and experience, with the longer-term goal of improving outcomes.
· Communication – to facilitate communication and provide an opportunity to share information and evidence relating to NEST and Neurodiversity that will allow for informed future discussion and planning.
· New informed approaches – for the committee to embrace the complexity of the interaction between environment and neurodiversity and unify approaches by scrutinising opportunities to mandate for a strength based "difference not disorder" approach to children’s mental health and wellbeing. This mandate would reflect an understanding of neurodivergence, complexity and trauma. The opportunities provided by a Whole System Approach with cross sector access to information, training, early support and intervention are key to progress. This approach is critical in a situation where the high prevalence of ND traits are driving an unsustainable number of individuals onto a waiting list to seek a diagnosis as this is seen as the main gateway to support.
We look forward to continuing our close working relationship with the Committee throughout the term of the Programme which concludes in March 2022.
For more information on the NYTH/NEST Framework, you can watch our animation here:
Alternatively, can get more detail from our three documents:
· A Birds Eye View
· What You Need to Know
· If You Need to Know More
In terms of Neurodevelopmental information, you can watch Dr Catherine Norton’s video called Difference Not Disorder - YouTube or alternatively see the below documents:
