Project Description
Specialist Health and Resilient Environment (SHARE) service aims to reduce the number of young people becoming engaged in statutory social care services as a result of parents or carers being unable to manage the presenting risk in relation to complex mental health issues.
Wigan Borough Council has established a combined team of social care and CAMHS professionals to provide crisis for young people in or at risk of entering care with significant mental health problems. It also sought to implement a new, integrated, duty system with a single assessment of need and single care pathway for this group of young people.
SHARE works alongside a repurposed residential home (providing respite care, short breaks and short-term placements) and a group of specialist foster carers.SHARE works with young people over a period of at least 12 weeks, including support for their family, and access to psychiatric and psychological services. SHARE’s team includes a registered manager, clinical psychologist, advanced mental health practitioners, social workers, key workers and support workers.
SHARE is being scaled up through the DfE funded GM partnership.
Evaluation
The DfE-funded independent evaluation published in 2017 found that:
- SHARE successfully achieved its primary outcome in reducing the need for statutory social care intervention by reducing associated risks regarding mental health issues,
- Young people reported a positive impact of SHARE’s care, including: an improved understanding of emotions, increased confidence and social communication, and working though specific difficulties such as with eating, self-harm, family relationships, or medication.