News / Society

Fostered UK children often denied mental health treatment

Thursday, 28 April 2016 10:11 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 28 April 2016 10:08 AM ]

Children in care often have no access to mental health services in Britain, a report says.

British lawmakers have found that children in care are often denied access to mental health services because of their 'unstable' placement.

The House of Commons education committee said in a report on Thursday that a “significant number” of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) fail to provide support for young people for not meeting diagnostic thresholds or moving placement too often.

The report also said that the current methods of assessing the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people who enter care often do not "identify those in need of specialist care and support.”

Around half of the children in care have a diagnosable mental health disorder while one in 10 kids out of care has such health condition.

The report was based on evidence from a group of service users and experts involved in the social care system that said initial health assessments on children who enter care are "highly variable and often poor."

A 16-year-old girl in foster care told the committee that she had waited for over two and a half years to access services because she moved 13 times during that period.

The committee was told that CAMHS are often not willing to begin treatment for children who move placement.

This as official guidance says that “looked-after children should never be refused a service, including for mental health, on the grounds of their placement."

Neil Carmichael, the chairman of the education committee, said local authorities are responsible for the welfare of children in care, noting, “in spite of this duty, it's clear that many looked-after children in England are not getting the mental health support they need.”

"We recommend children in care be given priority access to mental health assessments and never refused care based on their placement or severity of their condition,” Carmichael added.

A government spokesman further stressed that children in care often have traumatic experiences and they need to receive the necessary support.

"That's why we are putting a record £1.4bn into children and young people's mental health, and investing in better links between these services and schools,” he added.

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