SURREY County Council is to carry out a complete overhaul of mental health services for children, according to a report stating a separate service will no longer be commissioned.

A new strategy is now being drawn up with the help of young people and families.

An independent review was carried out after it emerged more than 2,000 Surrey youngsters were suffering from a backlog of applications for assessments by Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the county with some having to wait up to seven months to be seen.

Healthwatch Surrey highlighted concerns about families experiencing issues around getting access to mental health services for children and young people in November 2017, after the county council and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) engaged in a joint procurement process for Surrey CAMHS in 2015.

The contract was awarded to Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust but problems were found with the Mindsight Surrey service and performance notices were issued by commissioners during last year and a review was carried out.

A report presented to members of Surrey CC’s health and wellbeing board earlier this month provided an update on the interim plan put in place to tackle the waiting list and the review carried out.

It said: “Building on the independent review, we will move away from the notion of commissioning child and adolescent mental health services towards developing an integrated offer of emotional wellbeing and good mental health for every Surrey child.

“This approach will require radical transformation.

“As a system, we will seek to shape an integrated offer of early help, early intervention and transformation, shaped by children, young people, their families and carers.”

A mental health and well-being strategy is now being drawn up ready to be presented to the board in December.

The independent review found demand for CAMHS service was greater than projected by commissioners, although the actual demand was in line with national benchmarks.

It heavily criticised Mindsight Surrey, finding it had slow mobilisation, lack of clear pathways, poor integration with wider agencies and provider partners, lack of operational data and non-medical clinical leadership which all “contributed to the underperformance of the service and the high waits, backlogs and case-loads”.

As a result of the review, the county council and Surrey CCGs will introduce a new approach with the views of children and families being considered.

It will help to produce a new children and young people’s mental health charter and a joint commissioning strategy.

Around 60 children and young people have already been asked for their views with more to be asked before the charter is published in December.

The report said: “We want to develop a shared vision across the various agencies working with children and young people in Surrey to ensure mental health and wellbeing is everybody’s business.

“This requires a whole system approach that works well together where children and young people’s needs are met at lower levels.”

•Mindsight Surrey CAMHS partnership for children and young people with mental ill-health and learning disabilities, consists of 12 organisations from the NHS, social care, voluntary and independent sectors.