By Sammie Jones-
Many children and young people with serious mental health issues are being neglected by the mental health services, according to the Care And Quality Commission (CQC) .
The Care Quality Commission was mandated by UK prime minister, Theresa May, to conduct a review of the quality and access across the system of mental health services for children and young people. Their findings were disappointing. Investigators found that although mental health is funded and commissioned by many organisations, there is a lack of co-ordination among these organizations in their operations. Many children are unable to access timely and appropriate support as a consequence of the fragmented system in mental health services.
The report highlighted who was hearing voices and had other mental health issues that was unable to access support form the mental health services because he was in residential care rather than settled accommodation.
The phase one report from the CQC’s review of child and adolescent mental health services found “widespread issues with accessibility” of specialist services and wide variation in waiting times across England.
The report also found that despite 85% of local areas committing to prioritising mental health support for looked-after children, a number of services were refusing referrals for children in care unless they have a permanent placement.
More disturbing was the fact that many of those who work with children and young people do not always have the skills or capacity to identify mental health problems. The implications are serious for many children with mental health issues, who can eventually become a menace to society. If children with mental health issues are not well attended to, we can expect their conditions to only worsen, affecting other normal children in society whom they may come in contact with. Even worse is the high potential for them to become a nightmare when they become older. Members of society are unskilled in detecting individuals with mental health issues, especially those who may appear normal when in fact they have serious issues.
MULTI AGENCY MEETINGS
Investigators found that instances in which good and adequate care were discovered revealed good co-ordination between organisations and agencies. Weekly multi-agency meetings where expertise was shared among professionals produces better results, the report indicated.
The damning CQC’s review also spotted variations in waiting times around the country, noting that some mental health services lack systems to review the risks to children and young people on their waiting lists. Protracted waits lead to the potential deterioration of children’s mental health to a crisis point before they get access to services. Children , including young offenders, child refugees and unaccompanied asylum seekers also experience problems in accessing CAMHS.
POOR DATA
Compounding the problem was an evidential poor quality of data available on CAMHS . The inadequate data was found to be too reliant on voluntary self-reporting from providers, often excluding information from social care and other parts of the wider mental health system. It added that staff turnover both in all parts of the system has a detrimental effect on young people with mental health conditions.
Councillor Richard Watts, chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, said the report highlighted the urgency of improving mental health services for young people.
“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.
“Mental health must be put on the same footing as physical health. Greater investment is needed in community-based preventive services, such as counselling in schools, which gives children and young people the support they need and keeps them out of hospital in the first place.”
Failing professionals in mental health services must respond effectively and promptly to the report. Mental health is a serious matter that must never be taken lightly, only the best and most competent professionals should be in the profession. Otherwise neglected children with mental health issues will develop to become a serious problem to their families and other people’s children, exacerbating society’s already high problem of youth crime which take many forms.
The second phase of the CQC’s review of CAMHS, prompted by Theresa May early in the year will focus on why the quality of mental health services are so variable, and what can be done to improve access and quality. A further review leading to a final report by the CQC will be published in 2018. Notable progress will be expected by then, otherwise resignations and sackings will be expected given the seriousness and important of mental health today.