Extra cash has been found to give young people in custody better access to specialist mental health professionals.
The 1.5m is backed up by guidance for health and social carecommissioners and will help standardise patchy provision for youngoffenders with severe mental health problems.
The Department of Health funds aim to encourage better coordinationbetween local child and adolescent mental health services to ensureyoung offenders, a third of whom have mental health problems, get theright care.
Caroline Twitchett, programme lead for children and young people'sprison health at the Department of Health, said: "The factors affectingoffending and anti-social behaviour are complex. This significant boostto funding will help us address one part of that puzzle."
- www.dh.gov.uk.
