Views sought on autism and mental health services for children and young people

The Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) and Public Health Agency (PHA) want to hear about your experiences to help shape how care is delivered in Northern Ireland.

10,000 Voices is a PHA initiative which gives people an opportunity to provide feedback on their experiences of accessing Health and Social Care services by asking for members of the public to ‘tell us their story’.

Mary Hinds, Director of Nursing and Allied Health Professions at the PHA, said:

“10,000 Voices aims to involve the public in shaping future healthcare services across Northern Ireland. The initiative acknowledges that patient and client contribution is fundamental to ensuring that services are commissioned to deliver better outcomes for patients, their families and carers.

“We want people to tell us about their experiences of health and social care and to highlight the things that were important to them. The information we receive will help us to direct how health and social care is shaped and delivered in Northern Ireland.”

If you or someone you care for has had experience with either or both of the following services in the past twelve months:

• Autism (children and young people up to age 18)
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

10,000 Voices would like to hear your story

You can tell your story by completing a survey before 30 June 2016 by downloading the app:

1. Go to the app store and download SenseMaker
2. Enter the Activity Code: 10KVoicesAutismandCAMHS

Paper versions of the survey are also available on request at any CAMHS or Autism Clinic.

Tony Rodgers, Assistant Director of Social Care and Children with the Health and Social Care Board, said:

“This project creates a very important opportunity for children, young people and their families to share their experiences of CAMHS and paediatric autism services. By capturing their stories, we will have a very rich source of meaningful information from across the region giving an accurate picture of what works well, but also where changes and improvements may be needed. The results of the survey will provide a very solid basis for influencing the shape and development of these services both in the short and longer term.”

The survey has been live since January 2016 and while responses have been steady across both CAMHS and Autism it is still quite slow.  We would encourage as many people as possible to tell their stories – it does make a difference!

For further information on 10,000 Voices please contact Christine Armstrong (Regional Lead for 10,000 Voices) christine.armstrong@setrust.hscni.net