Family Ambassador Service expansion and drop-in sessions
The East Midlands Family Ambassador service has had an exciting 2026 so far, expanding its offer and welcoming new roles to the team.
In April, Family Ambassador support was expanded to include support for families and carers whose child or young person is supported by the Community CAMHS Enhanced Treatment teams as well as CAMHS inpatient teams.
This expansion follows the success of the inpatient programme and feedback from parents and carers who felt that Family Ambassador support should be available earlier in a young person's mental health journey.
Working with CAMHS, these teams provide more intensive support to prevent hospital admissions. Since going live across two pilot sites, the expanded offer has supported nine additional families. The current engagement rate is 36%, showing positive early uptake. Importantly, the service is contacting 100% of referrals where possible, ensuring every family has the opportunity to access support. Improvements in referral information will help the team reach families even more quickly.
Drop-in ward sessions
Alongside virtual support for families, the service has introduced face-to-face Family Ambassador drop-in sessions at each CAMHS ward across the East Midlands. These sessions have been well received, helping the team connect with more families and strengthen relationships with ward staff.
Supporting co-production
Capturing the voices of families, carers and wider stakeholders is central to the development and delivery of the Family Ambassador Service. To support this, the team is delighted to welcome a new Co production Lead, Holly Parker Guest. Holly will bring together experiences from across the East Midlands, ensuring lived experience remains at the heart of service development and delivery.
Watch the video to hear from real experiences, with real voices, describing the difference the Family Ambassadors can make.