Conclusion

Trust leaders from all sectors of the NHS are dedicated to improving children and young people’s services, to provide the best possible care to all those who need it. As these case studies show, trusts are working in new and innovative ways to provide high-quality services for children and young people at or closer to their homes, supported by co-production, digital tools and integrated working. This reflects the needs of children, young people and their families, and highlights the importance of co-designing services with the user’s voice at the centre.

Despite the best efforts of trust leaders, there is a need to go further. Given the rising demand for children and young people’s services, particularly mental health and community services, trust leaders are clear that the government must prioritise children and young people in upcoming national policy. The development and subsequent implementation of the new 10-year health plan presents an opportunity to put children and young people at the centre of policy making. This must be supported by the right enablers to ensure trusts can scale up the positive work they are doing to improve services through digital innovation, integrated working and shifting more care into the community.

Trust leaders are clear that the challenges facing children and young people’s health services have never been so urgent. In order to achieve the government’s shift to prevention and promote economic growth, children and young people must be given the attention they need and deserve.