Up to 10 pilot areas were set to start testing mental health assessments for looked-after children by May last year, but these were delayed as a result of the snap general election, and are still yet to launch.
The Department for Education has awarded £240,000 to a group of organisations, led by the Anna Freud Centre, that includes Action for Children, the Child Outcomes Research Consortium, Research in Practice and the NSPCC, to deliver up the pilots. The pilot areas themselves, which are yet to be announced, will also benefit from a share of £650,000 to deliver the scheme.
The DfE said the programme will identify a child's mental health and broader wellbeing needs, including whether a referral to a more specialist service is needed. They will also consider which professionals should be involved in the assessment, and develop best practice that ensures each child's unique needs are at the centre of the process.
Meanwhile, a consortium led by SQW, an economic development and social research organisation, has also been awarded £150,000 to carry out an independent evaluation to look at the effectiveness and impact of the pilots.
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