Your Mind, Your Say: Young people’s views of mental health services in Dorset
A follow-up report assessing if previous recommendations for improvement remain relevant and to identify any new changes deemed essential by young people to help inform NHS Dorset’s review of services.
This report is based on in-depth conversations with 23 young people from groups who do not always have a strong voice. This includes young people who have experienced trauma, young refugees, LGBTQ+ individuals, those who are outside of mainstream school, young offenders and previously looked after children.
Through thought-provoking questions, we identified key aspects of young people’s mental services that require improvement.
Key recommendations
- Shorter waiting times: The main concern raised was how long young people have to wait to access services; they want more immediate support to help prevent crises.
- Treat young people as individuals: Recognising that individual needs vary, the report emphasises the importance of tailored advice and treatment for each young person.
- Comfortable non-clinical settings: Young people expressed a preference for familiar, safe environments over clinical settings, highlighting the need for comfort during mental health support.
- Better continuity of care: Young people want consistent support from the same mental health professionals as this helps build trust and rapport, a vital aspect of effective care.
- Follow-up support: Post-treatment check-ins help young people to feel supported, so they should be established as routine.
- Activities during Talking Therapy: Not everyone is comfortable talking face-to-face, so providing the opportunity to do some sort of activity during therapy would help some young people feel more comfortable.
- Appropriate self-help suggestions: Ensure that self-help information and advice given to young people is relevant and beneficial.
Read our report
If you would like this report in a different format, email enquiries@healthwatchdorset.co.uk or call 0300 111 0102.
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Your Mind, Your Say
