Table 2.
Items reaching consensus (80% or more endorsing a score of 1–3 or 8–10) across both panels
| Category | Item | Public | Professional | ||
| Median (IQR) | % agreement | Median (IQR) | % agreement | ||
| Promotion and prevention | |||||
| Access to trusted information and support | Everyone who works with children and families should help to protect children’s mental health (MH) and well-being. | 10 (0.0) | 96* | 10 (2.0) | 85* |
| Access to trusted information and support | Ensure that GPs have information about support that can be offered to young people if they are experiencing any emotional or MH problems. | 10 (1.0) | 96* | 10 (1.0) | 80* |
| Access to trusted information and support | Set up and advertise online resources specifically for professionals working with children that cover issues such as causes and signs of MH problems and how to get help. | 9 (1.3) | 81† | 9 (2) | 88† |
| Access to trusted information and support | Create a symbol that would show that a website giving information about emotional well-being or MH has been checked by experts and can be trusted. | 9 (2.0) | 83* | 10 (1) | 91† |
| The role of schools in promotion and prevention | Pupils’ emotional well-being should be just as important as their academic performance (eg, exam grades). | 10 (2) | 96* | 9 (2) | 88* |
| The role of schools in promotion and prevention | Promote a school culture that makes all pupils feel important. | 10 (2) | 87* | 10 (1) | 85* |
| The role of schools in promotion and prevention | Promote a school culture that makes all pupils feel safe. | 10 (0) | 83* | 10 (1) | 90* |
| The role of schools in promotion and prevention | Being able to participate in a variety of activities and programmes in school builds children’s and young people’s self-esteem and social skills. | 8 (1.3) | 88† | 9 (2) | 93* |
| The role of schools in promotion and prevention | Teach life skills (eg, how to say ‘no’ and how to consider others) in school on a weekly basis. | 9 (2) | 91* | 10 (1.3) | 91† |
| The role of schools/targeting risk groups | Offer support to pupils who are worried about their exams. | 10 (1.5) | 91* | 8 (2) | 80* |
| The role of schools/targeting risk groups | Offer special help to children with special educational needs and disabilities (eg, schools apply for a statement if needed). | 10 (0.5) | 91* | 10 (1) | 88* |
| The role of schools/targeting risk groups | Offer support to pupils when they move from one school to another (including from primary to secondary school). | 9 (2.0) | 83* | 9 (2.3) | 84† |
| Targeting risk groups | Offer extra help to parents whose children are more likely to develop emotional or MH problems (such as parents with MH problems or parents who have problems with drugs or alcohol). | 9 (2) | 87* | 9 (2) | 85* |
| Targeting risk groups | Offer a chance for parents to join a group to learn how to support a child showing early signs of behavioural problems (parenting programmes). | 10 (1.3) | 94† | 10 (1) | 100† |
| Targeting risk groups | Offer an opportunity to parents who do not want to join a group, to learn about parenting in individual support sessions. | 9 (2) | 83* | 9 (1.3) | 88† |
| Targeting risk groups | Offer support for children and young people who have been diagnosed with autism or attention deficit and hyperkinetic disorder to prevent behavioural problems. | 9 (1) | 95* | 9.5 (1.3) | 88† |
| Getting help | |||||
| Access to services and support | There is (not) enough support available to make sure all children, young people and parents get help, no matter how big or small their problems are. | 1 (0) | 81† | 1 (2) | 84* |
| Access to services and support | Offer support to all children who have emotional problems. | 10 (0) | 100* | 10 (1) | 85* |
| Access to services and support | Services should only be provided to CYP aged 0–13. | 2 (2) | 88† | 0 (1) | 91† |
| Access to services and support | Services should only be provided to CYP aged 13–25. | 2 (1.5) | 88† | 1 (1) | 83† |
| Access to services and support | Services should only be provided to CYP aged 18–25. | 2 (2) | 88† | 1 (1) | 84† |
| Access to services and support | Make sure that anyone working with children and young people is able to recognise when a child or young person is showing signs of a MH problem. | 10 (1) | 91* | 9 (2) | 87* |
| Access to services and support | Every school should have someone who is responsible for the MH of pupils, including arranging staff training, finding expert advice and arranging extra help for pupils who need it (making referrals). | 10 (2) | 91† | 8.5 (2) | 84* |
| Access to services and support | Set up a single point of contact for children, young people and families so they can easily get information, advice and support if they are worried about MH. | 9 (2) | 86* | 9 (1.25) | 81† |
| Access to services and support | If a child or a young person is referred to a MH service, give them information about what to expect during the first visit. | 10 (2) | 91* | 10 (2) | 88* |
| Access to services and support | Assign a professional to work with children and young people with complex needs (eg, more than one problem occurring at the same time like MH and substance misuse issues), so that they have someone specific to support them. | 10 (1) | 90* | 9.5 (1.25) | 89* |
| Interaction between service and service users | Children’s MH services should also pay attention to parents’ MH, and help parents find services if they need support. | 8.5 (2) | 100† | 10(2) | 82* |
| Interaction between service and service users | Offer children, young people and their families some self-help strategies to try out if they are on a long waiting list for a MH service. | 10 (1) | 100* | 10 (2) | 80* |
| Interaction between service and service users | Ensure that if a child or a young person is on a long waiting list for a MH service, they receive regular updates about where they are on the list and how quickly they will reach the top. | 10 (0.25) | 90* | 10 (1) | 94† |
| Interaction between service and service users | If a child, young person or a family miss their appointment with a MH professional, try to find out why and try to solve the issue, rather than close their case. | 10 (0.75) | 100* | 10 (2) | 89* |
| Interaction between service and service users | Wherever possible, make sure that a child, young person or a family sees the same person every time they have an appointment. | 10 (1) | 90* | 9 (2) | 97† |
| Interaction between service and service users | Include parents or carers in their child’s MH support and in planning the support. | 10 (2) | 86† | 9 (2) | 81* |
| Interaction between service and service users | Tell children, young people and parents what to do if they want to see a different MH professional, for example, if they do not get on with the person they have been seeing. | 10 (1) | 90* | 9 (1) | 86* |
| Interaction between service and service users | MH professionals should be trained to work with children and young people. | 10 (0) | 95* | 10 (0) | 92* |
| Interaction between service and service users | MH professionals should be trained to offer therapy. | 10 (2) | 91* | 10(1) | 91† |
| Interaction between service and service users | MH professionals should be positive and relaxed. | 10 (0) | 95* | 10(1) | 82* |
| Interaction between service and service users | MH professionals should be open-minded and fair. | 10(1) | 100* | 10(1) | 87* |
| Interaction between service and service users | MH professionals should be trustworthy. | 10 (0) | 100* | 10 (0) | 92* |
| Interaction between service and service users | MH professionals should be trusting and believes in the young person. | 10 (0) | 100* | 10 (0.75) | 92* |
| Interaction between service and service users | MH professionals should be interested in the child’s, young person’s and their family’s opinion on how to best support them. | 10 (0.75) | 95* | 10 (0) | 95* |
| Interaction between service and service users | MH professionals should be reliable—they do what they promise. | 10 (0) | 100* | 10 (0) | 92* |
| Preventing relapse; supporting CYP after diagnosis | Offer a chance to all parents of children and young people with a diagnosed MH problem to learn more about parenting (take part in parenting programmes). | 8 (1) | 81† | 8.5 (2) | 84† |
| Preventing relapse; supporting CYP after diagnosis | Educate children and young people who get help from a MH service on how to stay well in the future. | 10 (1.75) | 91* | 10 (2) | 87* |
| Preventing relapse; supporting CYP after diagnosis | Create groups where parents and carers supporting children with MH problems are able to talk about their experiences with other parents and carers in a similar situation. | 9 (2) | 86† | 9 (2) | 84† |
| Preventing relapse; supporting CYP after diagnosis | Have schools work together with MH services, to help children who have a MH problem to learn how to take care of themselves. | 9.5 (1) | 82* | 9.5 (1) | 94† |
| Measuring success | |||||
| Service user satisfaction with the care and support received. | 10(2) | 83* | 9 (2) | 88† | |
| Signs of psychological well-being (feelings of independence and autonomy, ability to manage own emotions). | 9 (1) | 100† | 9 (2) | 80* | |
| Signs of social well-being (ability to form and maintain positive relationships with others). | 10 (1.5) | 91* | 9 (2) | 97† | |
| Signs of emotional well-being (feelings of happiness and confidence). | 9 (2) | 91* | 9 (1.25) | 97† | |
| Functioning at school (attendance, attainment). | 10(1) | 91* | 9 (2) | 80* | |
| Symptoms of emotional and mental ill health (eg, specific signs of depression or anxiety). | 10(2) | 91* | 9 (2) | 83* | |
*Denotes that consensus is reached in round 1.
†Denotes that consensus is reached in round 2.
CYP, children and young people; MH, mental health.