In this weeks "Meet the Team", we are excited to introduce Antony Garratt, who is one of our Children and Young Persons (CYP) Mental Health Nurses based in LLR. Antony plays an important role in supporting our work with young people, and his passion and commitment shine through in everything he does.
Antony has over thirty years of experience working within mental health and has more recently been focused on improving the welfare of young people. Reflecting on his role, he shares, "I think one thing I would say about our team is that we’re all extremely dedicated, and we're all extremely passionate about the welfare of young people, which is why we do the job in the first place." His words underscore the driving force behind the small team’s mission – a shared commitment to making a difference in the lives of young individuals.
The opportunity to make a significant impact early in a young person's life is what drew Antony to this work. "The attraction of working with young people for me really is that you can get the right support to them before they develop complex difficulties. You can get them into services that help build resilience, support families, and hopefully prevent long-term mental health difficulties in adulthood," Antony explains. "I mean, somewhere in the region of 80% of mental health difficulties are observable before the age of 18. My role is about getting timely support to children and families to improve resilience and teach young people the skills they need for life."
"We work with some young people who’ve faced incredibly difficult situations, and to see them progress, achieve their goals, and grow as individuals is just amazing. That’s why we’re here – to help them see their own potential."
Despite the challenges, Antony embraces his role with enthusiasm. One unique aspect is the process of assessing referrals. "We receive referrals from GPs, community paediatricians, school nurses, and other stakeholders. Often, these referrals are based solely on written forms or letters, without face-to-face or telephone contact with the young person or family," he shares. "It’s about relying on mental health knowledge, risk assessment skills, and the ability to build a clinical picture while maintaining positive relationships with stakeholders, especially GPs."
Looking ahead, Antony is enthusiastic about future opportunities to enhance the team's services. "The needs of young people are always changing, and we’re always thinking about how to adapt. The opportunity to innovate and improve makes this work so meaningful," he says.