Education committee chair wants more joined-up mental health support

Speaking to CYP Now ahead of the launch of his committee’s inquiry into the mental health and wellbeing of looked-after children, Neil Carmichael said the lack of a proper joined-up health and social care support system for young people will be a key focus.

He said: “If agencies are always isolated and not working with their fellow agencies then services get worse and young people can fall through the various stalls.”

Carmichael, who became chair of the committee in June, said a good example of silo working in children’s mental health is how different professional groups use different language to describe the same things.

“We need to try and get everyone talking about these things in the same way,” he added.

The committee has already held private evidence sessions with looked-after young people and care leavers, where they were told about the inconsistent nature of support and the “cliff edge” in support when young people with mental health problems transition from the children’s to adult mental health system at the age of 18.

“They were not having appropriate assessments made at the start," added Carmichael. "How people are assessed and diagnosed will be at the heart of this inquiry."

The committee expects to hold three evidence sessions between now and February, with a report on its findings published in the spring.

The first session will hear evidence from among others Natasha Devon, the government’s school mental health champion; Sarah Brennan, chief executive of children’s mental health charity YoungMinds; and Kevin Williams, chief executive of the Fostering Network.