How Shout Out for SEND helped influence active waiting in mental health services
About the project
In June 2026, Shout Out for SEND partnered with Buckinghamshire CAMHS to explore how the experience of waiting for mental health support and neurodevelopmental services could be improved for young people with SEND.
Waiting for support can be one of the most difficult parts of a young person’s journey. With many young people in our group having experience of waiting for diagnosis or mental health services, we were keen to ensure their views helped shape real improvements.
The session brought together young people and CAMHS leaders, including Andy Fitton, Joanna Holliday and Adam Harris, to discuss what makes waiting difficult and what practical changes could make a difference.
What did we do?
The session focused on three key areas:
Auto-reply emails
We reviewed real examples of emails currently sent to young people and families waiting for support.
Young people shared what worked well, what felt unhelpful, and how communication could be improved. Discussions focused on:
- Clear and honest language
- Better explanations of what happens next
- Making emails feel less corporate and more human
- Reassurance and support while waiting
Videos and online content
We explored what kind of information and content young people would actually engage with while waiting.
Young people highlighted the importance of:
- Short and engaging content
- Real people and lived experience
- Accessible information
- Content that feels respectful and relevant
Support while waiting
We discussed the wider support available to young people while they wait for services.
This included ideas around:
- Clear updates and next steps
- Resources and information
- Peer support and lived experience
- Better accessibility and personalisation
What did young people tell us?
A common theme throughout the session was that young people are not necessarily asking for lots of new services.
Instead, they want:
- Clear communication
- Honest information
- Better updates
- Support that is easier to find
- To feel informed, included and not forgotten while they wait
Young people also shared what waiting feels like, generating a powerful word cloud containing words such as:
Frustrated. Confusing. Endless. Hopelessness. Stuck.
Together, these responses highlighted the emotional impact that waiting can have when information and support are difficult to access.
What happened next?
Following the session, CAMHS committed to reviewing the feedback and identifying practical changes that could be taken forward.
Three months later, CAMHS returned with an update showing that work had already begun.
This included:
- Reviewing all existing CAMHS auto-reply emails
- Meeting with team managers to discuss the feedback
- Drafting new email approaches informed by young people’s ideas
- Exploring how feedback could influence future video and online content
- Sharing learning across different CAMHS teams
The work is ongoing, and Shout Out for SEND will continue to support the development of these ideas as they progress.
Why this matters
This project demonstrates how young people can work alongside services to create meaningful change.
Rather than focusing on large-scale reforms, the session generated practical, realistic ideas that could improve the experience of waiting for hundreds of children, young people and families across Buckinghamshire.
Most importantly, it showed that when young people are given a genuine opportunity to contribute, they can provide thoughtful, constructive and highly actionable solutions to complex challenges.
Impact
✅ Young people co-produced ideas for improving active waiting support
✅ CAMHS reviewed existing communication using direct youth feedback
✅ Work started on developing improved auto-reply emails
✅ Feedback shared with wider teams responsible for digital content and communications
✅ CAMHS committed to reporting back on progress and continuing the conversation with young people
For more information
If you’d like to find out more about Shout Out for SEND, email ShoutOutforSEND@Buckinghamshire.gov.uk.
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