The North East and North Cumbria (NENC) Integrated Care System is to receive up to £100,000 towards increased efforts to expand inclusion and diversity amongst children and young people’s mental health research participation.
The funding comes as part of the £1.6 million investment awarded across 17 integrated care systems, through the NHS England ICS Research Engagement Network Development programme.
The bid was formed in partnership with the Clinical Research Network NENC, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration NENC, North East Commissioning Support, NENC Voluntary Community Social Enterprise (VCSE) Partnership Programme, Deep End Network, and Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS FT.
Aejaz Zahid, Executive Director of Innovation for the NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), said: “We need to make sure we hear from a wide cross section of young people to ensure we have a combined voice to help develop our plans. This funding will allow us to work together to focus on increasing participation in research from the diverse communities in our region.”
The programme will aim to support two VCSE organisations in each of the four integrated care partnership areas, working alongside the Voluntary Organisations’ Network North East (VONNE) and and Cumbria CVS engagement programme, to develop monitoring strategies for the various approaches and outcomes.
Lisa Taylor, Health & Wellbeing Programme Director for VONNE, said: “Working with partners including the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in shaping the bid sets the groundwork for increasing diversity and inclusion in children and young people’s mental health research participation across the region. We want to build on our strong community relationships to help develop better ways of engaging children and young people in research, making sure that the people who are affected and use services are involved in the process by contributing to evidence and research.”
