Toucan Announces Wave 2 Funding for Investment in Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services
Toucan, the West Midlands CAMHS Provider Collaborative, has recently approved seven non-recurrent bids totalling £2.16m. With values up to £500k each, they aim to enhance services for children and young people with complex mental health needs - including those supported through Children and Young People’s Intensive Mental Health Services (CYPIMHS).
Over the next 18 months, the successful bids will deliver initiatives in crisis response, digital innovation, residential support, and dedicated clinical and coordinated support for children and young people, aligning to the 10-year health plan. Mobilisation of the approved projects is planned for October 2025, and Toucan are looking forward to supporting teams to take their bids forward.
Elaine Kirwan, Clinical Director of Toucan, said:
“We are proud to be investing in local innovations developed by our partners, which will improve access to crisis response and coordinated care for children and young people with complex mental health needs across the West Midlands.
“The successful bids align with West Midlands objectives for children and young people's mental health services and demonstrated potential to deliver high-quality and innovative solutions.
“Ensuring reinvestment into these new initiatives reflects our ongoing commitment to redirecting funding to earlier intervention, through enhancing mental health services that make a difference in our communities and reduce reliance on inpatient mental health care.”
Successful bids were received from:
- Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (two successful bids)
- Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust (two successful bids)
- Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (two successful bids)
Toucan will evaluate the impact of these new care models and facilitate sharing of insights across the region, ensuring that the voices of children, young people and their families are heard when considering the impact of these innovations.