Children under 16 are entitled by law to receive confidential treatmentfrom health services unless there are child protection concerns or theirhealth or safety is put at risk. However, many psychiatrists believeyoung people need to have their families present for treatment to beeffective, despite concerns that without confidential care, some youngpeople may be deterred from seeking treatment.
Lily Makurah, project manager for adolescent health at the Department ofHealth, said the problem emerged during workshops to raise awareness ofthe forthcoming You're Welcome guidelines on adolescent health lastyear. "An obvious gap was highlighted. It was also flagged up in theDepartment of Health internally," she said. "So the new You're Welcomeguidance will highlight the problem that some young people want to referthemselves to child and adolescent mental health services and to be seenon their own without other members of their family. It will lead to agreater consistency in what young people expect to receive."
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