Emotional Health & Wellbeing Service
Emotional Health and Wellbeing Service
Background
The Emotional Health and Wellbeing Service (EHWS) launched in January 2018, and covers Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. The service was created due to the recognition that there was a local gap in provision of service within the “Getting Advice” and “Getting Help” quadrants of the THRIVE model, adopted in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
Who are we?
The EHWS comprises of a range of staff from a variety of professional backgrounds.
- The Emotional Health and Wellbeing Practitioners (EHWP) are a multi-disciplinary team, coming from a variety of professions, including School Nursing, Mental Health Nursing, Paediatric Nursing, Health Visiting, and Social Work.
- The Children’s Wellbeing Practitioners (CWP’s) have psychology related degrees and complete the post graduate certificate in Children and Young People’s Psychological Wellbeing Practice.
The EHWS is led by a Clinical Psychologist, and supported by an Assistant Psychologist and Administrative Assistant countywide.
What do the EHWP’s do?
The team operates a duty system, offering telephone support to professionals from education settings (primary, secondary, colleges, and special schools) as well as other professionals such as General Practitioners and Social Care. Part of the EHWP’s role is to support professionals to ‘system navigate’ around the complex network of support available for children and young people with emotional and mental health needs. They work with professionals, to signpost, advise and support referrals to the wider emotional health and wellbeing services. The teamwork closely with the Early Help Hubs and the CAMH Single Point of Access (SPA).
They can offer more in depth support, where they can visit staff at schools to provide consultation (with parent/carers consent) and training to support professionals develop their skills, knowledge, and understanding of emotional health and wellbeing issues to more effectively and confidently deliver support. They also now provide staff support to education establishments. This may be in the form of self-directed learning packages along with a reflective session facilitated by an Emotional Health and Wellbeing Practitioner.
How do you contact us?
Accessing either strand of the service is through the EHWS duty line, which operates Monday to Friday, 9:30 to 16:30. Please note this is only available for professionals.
If you are a parent/carer concerned about your child or young person and believe the EHWS may be a help to your family, please do speak to your school and ask them to contact us directly.
Contact to the service is by email only ccs.ehw@nhs.net