Value in Healthcare Awards: Value and Improvement in Communication

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership FT: mymind.org.uk – an effective use of social media to engage children and young people

The judges said: “This entry has had an impressive impact and has excellent content and materials. We were really impressed with the engagement that it has created with patients through innovative use of digital media. It creates exciting opportunities to involve patients and create inclusive and progressive relationships.”

Mymind is a service that Cheshire and Wirral Partnership Trust has created in collaboration with young service users. The service, which specifically caters to young people, was launched on World Mental Health Day 2011.

The website mymind.org.uk provides children and young people with age appropriate information about child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). It gives service users information about access to CAMHS and what to expect from these services. Each area of the website is designed to engage with specific age groups, ensuring the information is accessible.

The website also has a news page, which is updated by young CAMHS users, CAMHS clinicians and administration staff, all of whom have been trained to write blogs and posts.

Another area of the programme successfully engaging with children and young people is the @mymind Twitter account which currently has 1,060 followers. Actively tweeting about resources, responding to topical comments and tweets, the @mymind Twitter feed is headed by a CAMHS clinician.

Mymind team is currently developing pages for young people with severe learning disabilities and their families. As with the current pages, these will be created in full collaboration with services users to ensure that it caters to their needs.

• See all the winners of the Value in Healthcare Awards 2015
• See the full list of award judges

Finalists

• Health Education England – The Come Back to Nursing Campaign
• NEL Commissioning Support Unit, Newham CCG, Tower Hamlets CCG, Waltham Forest CCG and Barts Health Trust: Building a community for change to shape NHS services in East London
• NHS Brighton and Hove CCG: Great Choices Make Heroes urgent care communication campaign
• NHS Coventry and Rugby CCG: 111 Campaign
• NHS Waltham Forest CCG, Barts Health Trust, Leyton Sixth Form College and the Patients Association – The Gold Standard Project
• NHS West Norfolk CCG: Choose Me Not A&E
• Pennine Care FT – Working Together, Living Well: a new vision and strategy for transformation