Developing an outcomes framework with services in the Republic of Ireland
With funding from the SPARK Consultant Innovation Fund, CORC have been working collaboratively with four CAMHS services and the HSE Child and Youth Mental Health Office (CYMHO) to develop and implement an outcomes framework for CAMHS. The framework will be built into Pod, an online data collection tool that supports settings to measure mental health outcomes and feedback data.
We worked with four child and adolescent mental health services in Inishowen, Monaghan, Lucena and Sligo, Leitrim and West Cavan. In August 2025, the HSE Child and Youth Mental Health Office (CYMHO) joined the project team to provide additional support and strengthen alignment with a wider programme of reform and digital transformation across Child and Youth Mental Health Services (CYMHS), including implementation of the Community Care Record, the HSE App, and the CYMHO’s commitment to embedding a Learning Health System across services. More information on the CYMHO Action Plan is available here.
Our approach
We developed a phased approach to develop understanding of current practice, select outcome measures in consultation with services and plan Pod implementation.
Phase one: understanding current practice
We worked with participating CAMHS sites to map current practice and identify a core set of routine outcome measures. This exploratory phase gathered perspectives through service lead and staff consultations, and a staff survey. Findings highlighted both the variation in current practice and a desire for a more consistent approach to outcome measurement. We collated this information into a draft outcomes framework, shared in our Phase one report in August 2025.
Phase two: refining the framework
We worked closely with CYMHO and participating sites to refine measure selection and produce the final outcomes framework. Two workshops were delivered to service leads review proposed measures, finalise the outcomes framework and consider the practical aspects of implementation.
Phase three: implementation and learning
The agreed framework will be built into Pod and staff will receive training ahead of rollout. Implementation is expected to begin later this year, followed by a one-year pilot of data collection. The CYMHO will lead on the evaluation of the pilot during this phase. Consultation with a Youth Advisory Panel and National Lived Experience Panel will also take place as part of wider CYMHO work to ensure lived experience continues to shape implementation of the outcomes framework.
Outcomes framework
The framework was finalised in phase two of the project. The framework includes a small core set of measures to provide consistency, alongside symptom-specific measures. Key factors in decision making includes applicability for specific groups (e.g. age ranges), licensing and associated costs, staff experience, length and integration with current and planned systems of measure collection. Goals and feedback measures will also be collected in separate systems following previous development work.
Finalised measurement framework: 
Reflections
The introduction of the framework reflects a shared effort to move towards a more consistent approach to measuring and using outcomes in practice. Implementing the framework into Pod will help services to better understand the impact of support for children and families. It also provides the opportunity for services to reflect on what works in implementing a digital outcomes collection platform, which will feed into national development work of a digital outcomes infrastructure.
Tom Foley, Consultant Psychiatrist at Inishowen CAMHS, said: 
Dr. Amanda Burke, National Clinical Lead for the HSE Child and Youth Mental Health Office said: