A new mental health and emotional wellbeing service for children and young people from Warwickshire County Council will be available from 1 August 2026.
Following a competitive procurement process, Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind (CWWM), a leading voluntary sector provider of mental health services, has been appointed to deliver the new service on the council’s behalf. They will offer the service working in partnership with Guardian Ballers, the Anna Freud Centre, Relationships Coventry and Warwickshire, and Lifespace Trust.
The new service will support children and young people aged 0 to 18 years or up to 25 years old with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). In addition to direct support, the service will also work with families, carers, schools, and professionals who play an important role in children’s lives, ensuring they have the knowledge, skills and confidence to recognise early signs of mental health needs and respond effectively.
The service will operate using the Thrive Framework model, which offers a comprehensive early intervention and prevention approach tailored to an individual’s needs, helping to prevent mental health difficulties from developing or escalating. Young people will also be able to access a range of low to moderate level interventions on a flexible basis in community settings. This will make the service more accessible and easier to engage with for children, young people and their families.
A key aim of the new service is to improve emotional wellbeing and resilience among children and young people, while ensuring that support is available at the earliest opportunity. By enhancing the capacity of families and professionals, the service is expected to reduce the number of children reaching crisis point or requiring specialist intervention. The model also promotes stronger partnership working across the local system and a greater focus on preventative approaches.
Dr Shade Agboola, Director of Public Health at Warwickshire County Council, said:
“As a child friendly county, it is important to support the mental health and emotional wellbeing of Warwickshire’s children and young people, ensuring they have access to the services they need in order to be as safe, skilled, healthy, heard and happy as possible.
“The new service will support local ambitions to strengthen early intervention, expand community-based support, and reduce pressure on specialist mental health services. By working with trusted partners to ensure that support is accessible and preventative, we can help children and young people to get the right support they need and at the right time.”
Mobilisation work with CWWM is already underway to ensure a smooth transition and continuity for residents currently receiving support. Further information on access routes, referral pathways, and contact details will be shared ahead of the official service launch date.
The current provider of this service for Warwickshire, RISE, delivered by Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust (CWPT), will continue to operate as normal to support children, young people, and their families in Warwickshire during the coming months. CWPT will continue to deliver specialist mental health services as part of Coventry and Warwickshire's wider mental health and wellbeing offer.
To find out more about the mental health services available for children and young people across Warwickshire, visit: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/mental-health-wellbeing/emotional-wellbeing-mental-health-support-young-people.
The Child Friendly Warwickshire programme aims to ensure that all children and young people across the county have access to the health services they need. For more information, visit www.childfriendlywarwickshire.co.uk
For mental health support, go to www.warwickshire.gov.uk/mentalhealth