Emotionally Healthy Children and Young People Programme - Parent information leaflet for consultation

What is the Emotionally Healthy Children and Young people Programme (EHCYP)?

The Programme began in 2015 with the aim to support schools, settings, and other professionals working with children and young people to meet the emotional wellbeing needs of children and young people in Cheshire East.

The Programme is led by Cheshire and Wirral Partnership Foundation NHS Trust (CWP) alongside local organisations providing their services.

This leaflet is specifically about the EHCYP Links Team consultation service.

An example of the EHCYP consultation

Sarah has been quieter than usual at school for the past two weeks. Sarah’s teacher has noticed that she is spending less time with friends during break and lunchtime and often sits alone. Sarah can become tearful in class and can’t explain how she feels. She has started to pick at her fingers when visibly upset and makes negative comments about herself.

Sarah has had one to one support at school and they have spoken to her parent/carer and suggested they discuss Sarah at an EHCYP Consultation. The school and parent/carer both complete the consultation information form with as much relevant information as possible and Sarah is discussed in the consultation session, where there are staff from other schools and settings.

Sarah’s name is not used during the session. The consultant and the group discuss useful interventions and strategies and also local organisations that may be able to help.

The notes from the consultation are entered on the NHS Electronic Patient Record and is also forwarded to the school.

The school shares the information with Sarah’s parents/carer and both the school and parents use the strategies and have regular contact to discuss progress.

What do I need to do?

The person who will be discussing your child in the EHCYP Consultation will ask you to provide information about your child’s emotional wellbeing from your perspective and also anything that you feel it is important to know.

You will also be asked to complete a brief questionnaire on your child which helps to identify their strengths and areas they may find difficult. This is called the Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire.

This will be scored by the school and shared in the consultation session.