By Richard Johnstone | 13 August 2014
Children’s mental health services need a complete overhaul to address ‘unacceptable failings’ and provide better care and support for young people, councils have said today.
The Local Government Association, which represents over 370 authorities across England and Wales, said only wholesale change could ensure the integration required to improve provision.
Currently, long NHS waiting times often leave councils having to pay for care due to gaps in provision, David Simmonds, chair of the LGA’s children and young people board, said.
It was welcome that the government and NHS had agreed to form a taskforce to try and join up services, which was announced by care services minister Norman Lamb last month, he said.
However, there was an urgent need for more funding to support early intervention services for children and young people experiencing mental health problems.
‘Looking after young people is the most important thing councils do and it is all of our duty to make sure that children, along with their mums and dads have access to the services they need,’ Simmonds added.
‘It is totally unacceptable that vulnerable young people who need help can end up falling through gaps in the system being widened because of funding pressures which are fuelling long NHS wait times.’
As many as one in ten young people aged between five and 16 suffer with a diagnosable mental health conditions, according to the LGA.
However, the current system means young people and their families are struggling to deal with the range of providers, For example, Simmonds highlighted the current system does not link up issues that impact on children’s mental health as a result of their parents’ mental health issues.
‘Councils have worked hard to protect the many services they provide for vulnerable children but in the face of 40% cuts to local government, this has becoming increasingly challenging.
‘Local authorities need the resourcing and flexibility to be able to invest in prevention and universal services in order to tackle mental health problems.’
