CAMHS Information Project: a resource kit for outcomes measurement in Kent Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

The CAMHS Information Project (CIP) was commissioned as a county-wide response to the call for implementation of routine outcomes measurement (ROM), as indicated in both national and local level policies (Every Child Matters, 2004; National Standards Framework: Standard 9, 2004; CAMHS Commissioning Strategy for Kent, 2007; Kent Children and Young People’s Plan, 2008-2011).

The aims of the CIP were to implement systems of ROM across Tier 2 and 3 CAMH services in Kent; and in doing so, promote a culture of learning and advancement through the proactive use of outcomes tools, and monitor, evaluate and ensure continual high-quality service provision to children, young people and families living in the county.

Furthermore, as ROM is considered an essential aspect of commissioning arrangements needed for service improvement, its implementation indicates a further example of good practice across the county’s CAMH services. The CIP was therefore intended as more than a performance management measure, and instead was to make a strategic contribution to CAMH service development with improved outcomes for service users.