Prioritise mental health support for children in care, demands charity
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Urgent action is being called for to prioritise the mental health needs of looked-after children and care leavers before they reach crisis point, a new report says.
Those with experience of care are four times more likely to have a mental health difficulty, often linked to isolation and loneliness, says a National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) campaign report launched this week.
The report, Looked After Minds, also details how care leavers are between four and five times more likely than their peers to attempt suicide when they become adults.
NYAS has called on the government to guarantee access to an advocate for all children receiving mental health support. This service should guide them through the support available and also be on hand when young people move between Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to adult support.
One young person moving between child and adult support services told the charity: “I turn 18 in a few months’ time, but after meeting with doctors, I was told I wouldn’t get any therapy from adult services and I’d be on a waiting list for at least a year.
“They couldn’t say how many meetings they could offer in the community, and I’ve still not met my care co-ordinator.
“I feel completely numb and overwhelmed – hopeless to be honest.”
Social workers also need to better understand the devastating effects of trauma on the lives of many children in care who may have experienced abuse and neglect, the report says.
All social care staff should have compulsory training of how trauma influences children’s development and mental health, it added.
The government is also being urged to produce guidance to help social workers understand how factors such as instability – for example, having multiple placements or social worker contacts – can damage children’s wellbeing.
Another young person who spoke to the charity said: “I lose count of how many different social workers I’ve had. My entire life has been one big game of pass the parcel.”
Ben Twomey, NYAS head of policy and research, said: "The golden thread running throughout our report is that mental health support must be child-centred and rights-based, recognising that mental health problems can be prevented if the right support is given at the right time.
“We need to move away from a mental health system that requires its patients to be in crisis, towards one that is truly proactive: advocating on behalf of care-experienced children and young people; supporting them through crucial times such as entering adulthood; addressing trauma at the earliest opportunity; and striving for childhoods that are full of positive experiences and love.”
