I was delighted to host the first in-person meeting of Transitions Community of Practice (Transitions COP) on Monday 6 July in Warrington, on behalf of Level Up LPC.
A Community of Practice is a group of professionals with an interest in common, 
who engage in collective learning for improvement and this group of professionals is from a wide range of training backgrounds and employing organisations. Transitions COP shares an interest in the experience of young people receiving inpatient care from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services as they prepare for adulthood. Transitions COP was established in 2025 as part of the Quality and Transformation Programme (QTP) for Cheshire and Merseyside, which has been led by Level Up and had previously met online to discuss how arrangements for planning transitions into services for those over the age of 18 might be improved. Level Up Experts by Experience identified this to be priority and so, in addition to ensuring it is reflected in our commissioning intention to promote seamless care, we were also keen to work closely with our colleagues with lived experience in planning the event.
It was lovely to co-host the welcome session for the event with Hannah Needs, Expert by Experience, who had co-produced the agenda with us.
Hannah had produced a recording concerning her experience of transition, made available to Community of Practice members in advance of the event, which she discussed with me on the day.
We also heard from colleagues Rachel Smethurst (Mental Health Programme Manager) and Anne-Marie Thornburn (CYP Programme Lead) about the development of the Integrated Care Partnership Transition Policy. Dr Ceri Woodrow (Consultant Psychologist and QTP Working Group Chair) also joined us, to host a panel discussion which featured representatives from Gateway and Case Management, as well as Mersey Care, Alder Hey and Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Trusts. The event concluded with an interactive session in which participants established a roadmap for improvement, considering their individual and team commitment to developing solutions. This activity generated a list of actions which we agreed should be reported to Hannah, as an Expert by Experience, later in the year.
It was wonderful to be joined by almost 50 energetic colleagues with a shared commitment to improve the experiences of young people as they prepare for adulthood, who had carefully reflected upon Hannah's experience and how they might play a part in improving services for future.
To hear more from Hannah about her experience, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKZzQCaFM9o
To see the information presented on the day, the slides can be reviewed here:
If you would like to join us for the next QTP Community of Practice in September at Warrington, which will focus on complex needs, including for those experiencing transition to adult services, register via: Complex Needs Forum Community of Practice (In Person) – Fill in form
