A “difficult relationship” between children’s mental health services and the hospital paediatric ward is impacting the quality of care provided to young islanders, according to a new report.

The report was based on an inspection of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service carried out by the Jersey Care Commission in November 2024, alongside an external review team from the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Reviewers praised the “significant changes and improvements” the service had made following a 2023 inspection.

“This shows a dedication to quality improvement and a commitment to providing a high-quality service for young people and their families,” the document said.

Pictured: An inspection of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service carried out by the Jersey Care Commission in November 2024.

Among the report’s 14 recommendations and two areas for improvement was that CAMHS should “work on improving their relationship with the paediatric ward”.

The report said: “Parent and carer feedback has highlighted their experience of a difficult relationship between CAMHS and the hospital paediatric ward.

“Issues such as poor communication and negative interactions between the teams have raised worries about the quality of shared care arrangements for their children.

“These concerns were echoed in frontline staff interviews, who acknowledged challenges in their interfaces with the ward.”

The relationship between Robin
Ward and CAMHS is horrible

parent and carer feedback

The report also compiled feedback from parents and carers of children under CAMHS.

One said: “The relationship between Robin Ward and CAMHS is horrible.

“If anything needs to change it’s the relationship between [the] hospital and CAMHS as this impacted on family experience.”

Reviewers recommended that the relationship between CAMHS and the paediatric ward could be improved through additional training and more regular meetings.

The report said: “While joint meetings to discuss admissions and support staff are beneficial, additional steps such as providing training for the ward and scheduling regular catchups could further enhance collaboration and support.”

The full report can be found online.