Appearing before the education select committee, which is conducting a review into the mental health and wellbeing of looked-after children, health minister Alistair Burt said the Department of Health and the Department for Education will establish an expert group to "develop care pathways that will support an integrated approach to meeting the needs of looked-after children with mental health difficulties".
Care pathways consist of an outline of anticipated care, and appropriate timeframes, to help a patient get better. Burt did not indicate whether additional funding will be available, although £1.5bn has already been earmarked by government to improve child and adolescent mental health services in the period up to 2020.
Burt said the expert group will be made up of figures from across health, social care, and education, with additional input from children, young people, carers, and families with experience of the care system. It will work with NHS England, Health Education England, and other sector organisations.
"Our determination is to make sure [that young people in care with mental health problems] get the care they need," Burt said.
However, Burt did indicate that government is not keen on giving young people in care priority over others when it comes to mental health services.
"I think it is essential that all children are assessed according to their need," he said.
"It is important that looked-after children come into a service that is able to look after the mental health needs of all children, without specification, and without discrimination."
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