NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board ("ICB") are considering its commissioning options for the delivery of a Community Wellbeing Programme Service.

Providers who are interested in delivering these services are invited to express interest by completing a questionnaire.

The information you provide will be used to inform the next steps of the commissioning process.

Commissioners are looking to establish what interest there might be in providing such a service from suitably qualified, capable and competent organisations and/or partnerships and any barriers that may exist in providing these services.

In Somerset, our vision is for children and young people's mental health and emotional wellbeing to flourish and for each young person to be happy, connected and prepared for adulthood.

Every young person who needs help in relation to their mental health will know how to access that help and will be able to do so easily and swiftly with mental health services being responsive, person-centred and of the highest quality possible.

Across Somerset, there is a higher than average prevalence of children and young people (CYP) who are presenting with mental health and emotional wellbeing difficulties.

Through talking to CYP themselves, partners across education, health and care and parents, we know that one of the key root causes of these mental health presentations is the lack of consistent wellbeing support and early interventions for our young people.

Therefore, CYP mental health and emotional wellbeing is one of our main system priorities, strengthening health promotion, prevention and early intervention through to effective targeted support.

We know there has been a concerning rise in rates of mental illness and distress amongst CYP, notably the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which caused interruptions to education and home life.

This has been reflected nationally: • In 2022, 18% of children aged 7 to 16 years and 22% of young people aged 17 to 24 years had a probable mental disorder • In children aged 7 to 16 years, rates rose from 1 in 9 in 2017 to 1 in 6 in 2020 • In young people aged 17 to 19 years, rates of a probable mental disorder rose from 1 in 10 in 2017 to 1 in 6 in 2020 The NHS Ten Year, Long Term Plan (2019) also makes specific reference and commitment to improving the access, quality and delivery of mental health services, with a focus on improving outcomes for CYP and their families.

There are key focus points including prevention, early intervention and working with the community through a personalised service, which further aligns with the Somerset's Integrated Health and Care Strategy and associated Joint Forward Plan.

Somerset recognises the pivotal roles that universal, community and specialist services play in raising awareness of mental health and emotional wellbeing, identifying problems, supporting and providing interventions to support CYP.