Young people share experiences to help build early support for mental health issues

Young people are taking centre stage at a conference to address youth mental health and wellbeing today.

The event at the Corn Exchange in Devizes brings together young people and professionals to share experiences and inform future approaches to mental health.

Young people will relay their own experiences of CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) user group and the Wiltshire Youth Union.

They will be joined by people working in the field to discuss what help is available and how they can work closer together in the future to further enhance that support.

Cllr Pauline Church, Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Skills said: "Young people are growing up with significant pressures from social media, desire to succeed and to carve their place in society.

"This conference is a great way to hear from young people about their own experiences and share good practice with our partners. It is also an opportunity to work together to create a collaborative and co-ordinated approach of early support to children and young people's emotional mental health and wellbeing."

The conference will include updates on the CAMHS, Specialist School Nursing Services, digital support and Five to Thrive Attachment based approaches.

The event is part of the wider Families and Children's Transformation (FACT) programme which brings Wiltshire Council and partners work together to ensure the services which safeguard and support children and young people work together in a coherent and structured way.

 The event is being held during  Anti-Bullying week (opens new window) which this year has the "Change Starts With Us" theme.

This conference is a great way to hear from young people about their own experiences and share good practice with our partners.