Lead supervisor:
Dr David Wilkins 
Start date: October 2021
Award: Collaborative
Subject Pathway:
Social Care, Social Work and Social Policy
Thematic Cluster:
Society and Well-Being Cluster
In partnership with:
Health and Care Research Wales 
Young people mental health
Making the move: Understanding the transition of young people with social care needs from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to adult services
This studentship will explore the transition of young people with social care needs from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to adult services.
CAMHS find themselves in a period of unprecedented demand, a demand that will likely be transitioned to adulthood. Transitioning from CAMHS to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) is generally acknowledged to be a complex process with many young people often failing to qualify for support as adults.
Most of the current literature has focused on transitions solely to AMHS and has not looked at alternative pathways, or what happens to those who do not transition to AMHS. Equally there has been little identification of the complexities faced by those young people transitioning from CAMHS who have additional social care needs, such as those receiving support from local authority social services departments.
This research will explore the identified gaps in the evidence base and help to inform future practice, policy and research to ensure that young people with mental health needs are better supporting during their transitions to adulthood.