Newcastle and Gateshead Therapeutic Waiting List Intervention

Connected Voice, with funding from NENC ICB, are currently looking to pilot a programme of therapeutic activities for children and young people across Newcastle and Gateshead. This is in response to feedback from young people using the current Getting Help service.  

The activities are not a replacement for the service the child/young person is waiting for. This is to aid their wellbeing during that time and will not affect their place on the waiting list.  

There are no restrictions on the type of activity that can be proposed, this could be craft, sport, environmental, digital etc, but should be an activity you have already delivered. As part of the application process, you must submit a risk assessment to demonstrate that you have the essential skills, experience and facilities to provide a safe environment for children and young people. 

There will be five opportunities over the next 18 months to submit a proposal. Please consider whether an individual or group basis is best suited to the activity and how this could be adapted as referrals may take time to build in the early stages.  The maximum that can be requested by each organisation across the programme is £30,000. This can be across several/all the application points, allowing you the opportunity to learn from feedback and amend the offer at each stage. 

An evaluation framework has been devised by the Health Determinants Research Collaborative (HRDC) and all organisations within the programme will be required to submit a return at the end of each series of activity sessions. Further funding of sessions will be dependent on this. 

The referral pathway into the therapeutic activities will be via CNTW staff as part of on-going contact with children, young people and their parents/carers whilst on their waiting lists. This is the only route into the activities.  

Connected Voice have agreed to oversee the grant which will be reviewed with key stakeholders prior to each round of applications.  The review will consider 

• The outcomes achieved through the therapeutic interventions  
• If these approaches improve well-being and can help support children and young people to manage their own mental well-being.