What if youth mental health systems followed the rhythm of real lives, not institutional logic? Young people moving through NHS mental health services often encounter fragmentation, repetition and delay. This project sought to redesign the experience with — not just for — those navigating it. It asked: what if support moved at the speed of trust? Approach • Led co-design sessions with young people, clinicians and system navigators • Mapped care journeys that accounted for identity, trauma, and digital access • Developed a service blueprint that integrated clinical, social and community-based support • Advocated for narrative continuity as core to mental health outcomes Impact • Improved referral pathways and multi-agency collaboration across the region • Increased youth engagement and trust in the design process • Positioned young people as co-authors of their care, not passive recipients • Helped NHS teams visualise and shift from transactional to relational service design
2020