CQC review into children and young people’s mental health...

CQC review into children and young people’s mental health services

Responding to the Care Quality Commission report on children and young people’s mental health services Stuart Gallimore, ADCS Vice President, said:

“ADCS members welcome the report’s emphasis on early help and prevention - children and young people should not have to wait until their problems reach crisis point to receive help. Most adult mental health problems begin during childhood and access to the right support, at the right time, in the right place is crucial to improving children and young people’s outcomes which last throughout their lives. That the inspectorate evidenced ‘good’ and ‘innovative’ practice in every place it visited is positive, but there is still too much variable practice and too many children and young people face unacceptable waits and lack of access to the high quality mental health support they need. More can, and must be done, to bring lasting change across the whole system. We must learn from those areas that have successfully implemented joint working arrangements, reduced waiting times, improved access to services and met the needs of children and their families.

“Children and young people’s mental health support should be a national priority and our members would support a joined-up, cross-government strategy that brings about much needed improvements across the breadth of children and young people’s mental health services. We welcome the additional funding made in the government’s mental health Green Paper, however, the need for a sustainable, long term funding strategy for children and young people’s mental health services is clear and urgent. Promoting good mental health and wellbeing in children and young people now can help them become happy, productive citizens of the future. Our children and young people deserve nothing less.”

ENDS

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