Review highlights shortcomings in children's mental health services

The Care Quality Commission, which is carrying out the review, found that just 25 per cent of children and young people in need of treatment for a mental health problem are able to access support.

The health watchdog said the situation is leaving many young people without timely care, adding that there is a particular shortage of inpatient support that is close to home for young people.

Health and education professionals working with children and young people in schools, GP practices and accident and emergency departments were also found to lack the skills to identify and support the mental health needs of children.

And children and their families were found to often struggle to navigate a "fractured" network of services that are poorly joined up.

Safety was flagged as another concern, with the watchdog rating three inpatient services and two specialist community services as "inadequate" in this area.

The CQC also found that 30 per cent of inpatient services (18 services) and 39 per cent of specialist community services (26 services) "require improvement" in terms of safety.

"This review has given CQC an important opportunity to not only consider the quality of care as found in our inspections, but also take a step back and look at the system as a whole," Paul Lelliott, CQC deputy chief inspector and mental health lead, said.

"We have listened to children and young people who have used services so that we can better understand the strengths, weaknesses, barriers and bridges to care they have experienced."

He added: "There are many people out there working to make sure that children and young people who experience mental health issues are offered caring support.

"Their dedication is to be celebrated. However, we must also address those times when a child or young person feels let down or not listened to and make sure the same level of support is available to each and every one of them."

A second phase of the review, due to get under way soon, will look in detail at how best to improve support children and young people. 

The CQC's findings will feed into a forthcoming government green paper on children and young people's mental health, which is due to be published by the end of the year.

Earlier this week it emerged that the green paper could include expectations on education and health services to work together in schools and health settings to boost young people's mental health support.

Children's Society chief executive Matthew Reed said the report's findings support the charity's research that found that 30,000 children are being turned away from mental health services every year and are not receiving any support or treatment.

"This report paints an all-too familiar picture of the shocking state of children's mental health," he said.

"Despite increased attention and investment, services remain fragmented and are increasingly overstretched, and too many children are suffering as a result.

"Vulnerable children in desperate need of help are facing agonising waits for treatment, in many cases without anyone checking in on them to make sure their condition isn't deteriorating, leaving families at crisis point with no-one to step in and help."

Meanwhile, Richard Watts, chair of the Local Government Association's children and young people board, has called for urgent action to tackle the "crisis" facing children and young people's mental health.

"At the moment we have a mental health system that still says no rather than yes to children when they ask for help with problems such as depression, anxiety, family issues and bereavement," he said.

"Councils, which play a critical role in improving the lives of all residents, want the government's green paper on children's mental health to deliver the root and branch reform it so desperately needs."