Under the draft Bill, children who are detained on behalf of their parents will have their capacity to challenge the decision acknowledged.
This will mean greater provision for considering the views of children, such as getting a second opinion from a different doctor if they do not feel treatment is in their own interest.
But campaigners say the effectiveness of the measure will be undermined by the fact that there is no requirement for them to be referred to children's mental health professionals.
Dinah Morley, acting chief executive of Young Minds, said: "We wanted the Bill to be clear that if it is used to detain a child that the person assessing them for treatment in detention needs to be a child specialist.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
