Minding the Gap (The Hive)

It is about reminding ourselves of our ethos of what we are doing and why we’re doing it. There is no ‘us’ and ‘them’. We’re all here together to do the best that we can for the young people of Camden.

Kirsty Magahy, Assistant Director, Catch 22

About the partnership

1. The Hive is a Camden-based health and wellness base for young people aged 16 to 24 who may be caught in the gap between children’s and adults’ services. It is part of the overarching Minding the Gap programme in Camden. The service has now been successfully running for 7 years.
2. It provides holistic support to young people with mental health, personal development, health and wellbeing, sexual health, employment and education and substance misuse.
3. The Hive services have been designed by the Young People’s Board for young people, and it utilises a non-clinical model that supports the more casual service users, whilst also creating a link to accessing targeted interventions (e.g., sexual health, employability) expertly provided by a consortium of partner organisations as well as drawing on the other local organisations.

What has gone well

1. The operational responsibility for delivery and the contracts sit with Catch 22. Clinical staff (on loan) and supervision is provided by the NHS organisations within the partnership which also creates crucial links between The Hive and children’s and adults’ services.
2. Staff is seconded by the Brandon Centre allowing for more workforce flexibility. Professionals work side based on a needs-led model.
3. It as become one of Camden’s flagship mental health projects.

Challenges experienced and overcome

1. Funding is always a challenge, and the service is always at risk of losing the building, which acts as a key base for the young people we support.

Results

1. 70% of young people demonstrated a significant boost in their resilience and social engagement.
2. The social cost benefit analysis showed a good return on investment, with a social and economic value of £3.40 for every £1 invested.
3. In 2018, The Hive wrote that the one to one support increased by 39% year on year. The number of young people attending the hub also increased, having reached 4,236 individuals in that reporting year.

What made the difference

1. Third sector led: service provided by a consortium led by Catch-22 a voluntary sector organisation, the Hive has CAMHS and AMHS workers seconded from local NHS Trusts in partnership.
2. Evidence-based: the service has been evaluated and showcased in the media. This has helped to build a case to secure funding.
3. Partnership intentionally brings together complimentary skills: Third sector agility complimented by clinical governance and assurance. The partnership and its approach has been structured around the service user’s journey.
4. Cost-effective: clinical staff supervise a team of youth workers making the service cost effective investment. 
5. A place to be a partnership: Having a building is crucial for the success.