Healthcare that Works for Young People: A Collaborative Approach

On Thursday, 27 March, the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Acute Federation, in partnership with the South Yorkshire Children and Young People’s Alliance and the South Yorkshire Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Provider Collaborative, hosted the Healthcare that Works for Young People Conference. The event, held in Rotherham, welcomed 148 professionals from across the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw healthcare system, all dedicated to improving healthcare for young people.

A Vision for Better Healthcare

Ensuring the healthcare system meets the needs of children and young people is one of the most crucial responsibilities of our health services. Adolescence is a transformative period, with significant physical, emotional, and cognitive development occurring until a person’s mid-twenties. In such a complex healthcare landscape, it is vital to design services that cater to the unique and evolving needs of young people.

By working together, we can transform care to ensure it is personalised, compassionate, and adaptable to every stage of a young person’s life. This means breaking down barriers between different sectors and organisations, creating a seamless and supportive experience for young people accessing healthcare services.

The recently published ‘Healthcare that Works for Young People – Statement of Intent 2023-2028’ has set a clear strategic vision for the future. This event served as a significant step forward in bringing stakeholders together to turn this vision into reality.

Dr Alenka Brooks, Associate Director for Young People and Clinical Lead for the work said: “We’d like to thank everyone that took the time out of their busy schedules to attend the conference, it was great to see such a wide range of colleagues from various organisations.

“The event was opened by our Young Ambassador, Rebecca Evans, who shared how our five priority actions will help to transform healthcare for young people.”

“A particular highlight of the event was a question-and-answer session hosted by Ruth Brown, CEO of Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust.  Ruth led a conversation with our South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Youth Ambassadors, a group of young people who shared their thoughts and opinions on different aspects of care. Their voices provided invaluable perspectives on how healthcare services can be improved to better support young people. A big thank you to all the young people who helped shape the conference and attended on the day.” 

 

Charlotte Peersman, Youth Ambassador, said: “I was honoured to be invited to speak at the conference by Dr Alenka Brooks who, as my consultant, has been key in improving my health.  I was eager to discuss the mental health impact of having a chronic illness. As a counselling and mental health student at York St John, I’m passionate about advocating for a holistic approach to healthcare that addresses both physical and emotional needs. It’s essential to start these conversations and work toward meaningful change in the NHS. I was and still am very grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this important cause!” 

Opportunities for Networking and Collaboration

In addition to the insightful discussions, attendees had the chance to network and browse a variety of informative stalls, hosted by key organisations working with young people, including:

• Healthwatch Rotherham
• Sheffield Transition to Adult Service Team (Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust & Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust)
• Rotherham Parent Carer Forum
• Sheffield Mind
• Over the Wall Children’s Charity

These organisations play a vital role in supporting young people and their families, and their presence at the event further emphasised the importance of cross-sector collaboration.

Looking to the Future

The Healthcare that Works for Young People Conference was a powerful demonstration of the commitment across South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw to improving healthcare services for young people. It reinforced the necessity of working together—across all sectors—to create a system that truly understands and meets the needs of young people.

This event marked just the beginning. By continuing these conversations, fostering partnerships, and taking actionable steps, we can ensure young people receive the high-quality, accessible, and compassionate healthcare they deserve. Attendees began to agree local actions and made personal pledges on what they will do differently in the future.

For more information on the ‘Healthcare that Works for Young People – Statement of Intent 2023-2028’ and how you can get involved, join the newly developed FuturesNHS space here: South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Healthcare that works for Young People - FutureNHS Collaboration Platform