Children's mental health services unable to keep up with demand

There's a warning of a " domino effect" on mental health support services for children and young people due to the lack of funding organisations have in the community.

The Children and Young People's Mental Health Coalition, which represents 240 organisations, said that mental health services are not able to keep up with the demand of children needing support.

Ministers have been urged to create a financial recovery package for voluntary and community sector organisations so they can deliver their "vital work" in early support for children.

The coronavirus pandemic has also impacted support services, particularly those in the voluntary and community sector.

The Children and Young People's Mental Health Coalition expressed their concern over the lack of funding:

'Short term and fragmented' funding

The major providers of early support services are voluntary or community service organisations but a lack of funding and "complex commissioning" means it is "tricky" to establish these services, according to the coalition's 2021 report.

And where they are in place they are reliant on "short-term and fragmented" funding due to some services being organised by local councils and others by NHS services, it added

Sir Norman Lamb, chair of the Children and Young People's Mental Health Coalition, said:

"We know that children and young people's mental health is not improving, in fact it has been deteriorating in recent years, and the pandemic has heightened the many challenges that young people face. We must not underestimate the severity of the situation.

"Whilst we recognise the investment that has been made in mental health support, our members are calling out for real change in the children's mental health system. We can no longer keep putting a sticking plaster on the wounds of an inadequate system."

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• Children
• mental health