HEE Strategic Framework for Children and Young People's Mental Health Inpatient Workforce

Health Education England (HEE) are pleased to announce the publication of the Strategic Framework for Children and Young People's Mental Health Inpatient Workforce, which outlines the vision for the children and young people's mental health inpatient services workforce. The Strategic Framework aligns to the resource pack, developed by NHS England, which was launched recently. 

HEE commissioned the National Workforce Skills Development Unit (NWSDU), working in collaboration with NHS England Specialised Commissioning and the Quality Improvement Taskforce, and other key stakeholders, to develop the strategic framework.

This strategic framework, which was co-produced in partnership with young people, parents and carers, NHS England, NWSDU and partners, sets out clearly how the vision can be achieved by developing a sustainable and consistent approach to children and young people's mental health inpatient services workforce supply and design.   

Mark Radford, Chief Nurse at Health Education England and Deputy Chief Nursing Officer for England, said:  

“Ensuring these most vulnerable children and young people, and also their families and carers, receive timely access to this type of care of the highest quality must therefore be our priority.  

This is why we are presenting you with a framework that supports the development of local children and young people’s mental health inpatient services.  

We all have experience of what we need to feel safe and cared for, and we have heard this from patients, carers and professionals brave enough to share their experiences of what felt right, as well as what was not helpful or supportive. This is what will drive us to achieve true service transformation across mental health inpatient services for children and young people.”  

The strategic framework outlines a number of recommendations across six key themes, including recruitment and retention, workforce development, culture and values, leadership, equality diversity and inclusion, and wellbeing. We urge local health systems to understand, advocate and implement essential system-wide recommendations to develop their children and young people's mental health inpatient workforce.  

Finally, we would like to thank young people and parents with lived experience, NWSDU, People Unlimited (previously Healthy Teen Minds), members of the Expert Advisory Group, and NHS England who have significantly supported us with its development and their ongoing commitment to ensure children and young people receive timely access to high-quality care in mental health inpatient settings.  

To view the Strategic Framework for Children and Young People Mental Health Inpatient Workforce, visit HEE mental health webpage.