01 August 2008
The government's review of child and adolescent mental health services will explore ways to provide longer-term funding, according to its interim report, published on July 29.
Funding has increased by more than 40% over the past two years but the temporary nature of much of the new money has had a negative impact on financial planning, the report said.
Much of the recent additional allocations were seen as short-term grants or funding for discrete projects. This threatened the long-term viability of good programmes, workforce stability and recruitment.
However, the report acknowledged that there were exceptions, including the continuing funding of Behaviour Improvement Partnerships through the area-based grant.
Overall funding had improved but there were concerns about disinvestment in some services to focus on national priorities and the under-use of pooled funding arrangements.
The review, led by Jo Davidson, Gloucestershire County Council's group director of children and young people's services, is examining all services that address the mental health and psychological wellbeing of under-19s and their families.
Recommendations will seek to improve the education, health and social care services for children and young people at risk of, or experiencing, mental health problems.
Care services minister Ivan Lewis accepted there were gaps in the services but said the government had taken steps to redress this.
'For example, funding has gone up from £322m to £461m in two years,' he said.
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