Winter brings unique challenges for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services across the UK. As demand typically increases during the colder months and staff availability becomes stretched, maintaining continuity of care requires strategic planning and proactive management. Here are five proven ways to ensure your CAMHS service continues to support young people effectively throughout the winter period.
1. Build a Flexible CAMHS Staffing Strategy for Winter Demand
Winter often sees a surge in mental health referrals for children and adolescents, coinciding with seasonal staff absences due to illness and annual leave. Developing a robust CAMHS winter staffing plan is essential for maintaining service levels.
Consider implementing a tiered approach to staffing that includes:
Bank staff arrangements: Maintain a pool of qualified CAMHS practitioners who can provide cover at short notice. Building relationships with reliable bank workers before winter arrives ensures you have trusted professionals ready to step in when needed.
Temporary CAMHS recruitment: Partner with specialist healthcare recruitment agencies who understand the specific requirements of CAMHS roles. Having pre-vetted candidates available can dramatically reduce the time between identifying a gap and filling it.
Cross-training opportunities: Where appropriate, ensure team members have the skills to provide basic cover across different areas of the service. This flexibility can prevent bottlenecks when specific specialists are unavailable.
Locum CAMHS clinicians: Establish connections with experienced locum psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health nurses who specialise in child and adolescent mental health. Quality locum staff can seamlessly integrate into your team during peak demand periods.
2. Implement Remote Working Options for CAMHS Teams
The ability to offer remote CAMHS appointments and flexible working arrangements has become increasingly important for maintaining service continuity during winter disruptions.
Telehealth for young people: Many children and adolescents feel comfortable with video consultations, particularly for follow-up appointments and ongoing therapy sessions. Remote appointments also eliminate travel barriers during poor weather and reduce appointment cancellations.
Hybrid working models for CAMHS staff: Allowing clinicians to work from home when appropriate can reduce sickness absence caused by exposure to winter illnesses in the workplace. It also provides flexibility for staff managing their own family commitments during school holidays.
Secure digital platforms: Ensure your service has reliable, NHS-approved technology for remote consultations that protects patient confidentiality whilst providing a positive user experience for young service users.
Remote working arrangements can also make your CAMHS vacancies more attractive to potential candidates, helping with recruitment during challenging periods.
3. Prepare Your CAMHS Team for Seasonal Mental Health Challenges
Winter presents specific mental health challenges for young people, from seasonal affective disorder to increased anxiety around academic pressures and family dynamics during the holiday period.
Seasonal training for CAMHS practitioners: Brief your team on recognising and responding to winter-specific presentations, including the impact of reduced daylight on mood disorders and the increased risk factors during extended school breaks.
Resource preparation: Ensure your service has appropriate materials and intervention plans ready for common seasonal issues. This might include psychoeducation resources about managing low mood during darker months or strategies for young people struggling with family stress during holidays.
Crisis response planning: Winter can see increased crisis presentations in CAMHS services. Review your crisis pathways and ensure adequate staffing levels for crisis teams throughout the season, including during holiday periods when routine services may be reduced.
Staff wellbeing initiatives: Remember that CAMHS professionals also face increased pressure during winter. Supporting your team’s mental health and resilience helps maintain service quality and reduces stress-related absences.
4. Strengthen Communication Between CAMHS Agencies and Partners
Effective multi-agency working is crucial for keeping CAMHS services running smoothly when individual organisations face winter pressures.
Regular liaison with schools: Maintain close contact with educational partners throughout winter. Schools are often the first to notice changes in young people’s mental health and can be valuable allies in maintaining engagement with CAMHS services during disrupted periods.
Social care coordination: Winter can complicate social care arrangements. Strengthening communication channels with children’s social care teams ensures vulnerable young people don’t slip through gaps in service provision.
Primary care partnerships: Work closely with GPs and health visitors who may see increased presentations of childhood mental health concerns during winter months. Clear referral pathways and shared protocols help manage demand effectively.
Third sector collaboration: Voluntary organisations providing support to children and families can be invaluable partners in maintaining wraparound care when statutory services are under pressure.
5. Prioritise Recruitment and Retention of CAMHS Professionals
The most effective way to keep CAMHS services running smoothly in winter is to ensure you have a stable, well-supported workforce before the challenging season begins.
Early recruitment for winter CAMHS vacancies: Don’t wait until you’re short-staffed to begin recruitment. Identify potential gaps in your winter rota as early as possible and work with specialist CAMHS recruitment agencies to fill positions in advance.
Competitive packages for CAMHS roles: Winter is a competitive time for healthcare recruitment. Ensure your job offers are attractive, highlighting benefits like flexible working, professional development opportunities, and supportive team environments.
Retention strategies: It’s more cost-effective to retain experienced CAMHS practitioners than constantly recruit replacements. Regular supervision, manageable caseloads, and recognition of staff contributions all support retention.
Succession planning: Identify potential retirements or departures well in advance and create overlap periods where knowledge and relationships can be transferred to new team members.
Support for newly qualified CAMHS professionals: Winter can be daunting for practitioners new to CAMHS work. Robust induction programs and mentoring schemes help new staff members feel confident and supported during their first winter season.
Planning Ahead for Sustainable CAMHS Services
Keeping CAMHS services running smoothly through winter requires forward planning, flexibility, and a commitment to supporting both young service users and the professionals who care for them. By implementing these five strategies, you can help ensure that children and adolescents continue to receive the mental health support they need, regardless of seasonal challenges.
At CAMHS Professionals, we understand the unique staffing challenges faced by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. Whether you’re looking to fill urgent CAMHS vacancies, build a bank staff pool, or find experienced locum practitioners, our specialist healthcare recruitment team is here to help your service maintain continuity of care throughout winter and beyond.
Need support with CAMHS recruitment this winter? Get in touch with our team to discuss how we can help you maintain adequate staffing levels during the challenging months ahead.
