YOTs told to make case for mental health investment

A report by the Prison Reform Trust calls on YOTs to take advantage of the fact that responsibility for public health budgets is shifting to local authorities.

It argues that professionals should create strategies that can be presented to new health and wellbeing boards, which will oversee commissioning decisions across public health from April this year.

The report also urges health and wellbeing boards to improve joint working with local youth justice services and says that although a quarter of children who offend have an IQ of less than 70, services are not working together to ensure the most vulnerable get the right support.

Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said too many youngsters are “slipping through the net” of care and support.

“Services need to work together to help young people to turn their lives around,” she said. “This would have a major impact on improving health, reducing unemployment and tackling youth crime.”

Sarah Brennan, chief executive of YoungMinds, said the briefing report should be acted on as a “matter of urgency”.

“If we don’t get these children the support they need early on then not only are we destroying their lives but we are failing to protect communities and wasting money,” she said.