Barnardo's Response To The Review Of Child And Adolescent Mental Health Services, UK

Main Category: Mental Health
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health;  Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 10 Jul 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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Barnardo's submitted its response to the Department for Children, Schools and Families this week as part of the independently commissioned review of CAMHS.

Barnardo's continues to be encouraged by CAMHS recent initiatives, which have helped to focus Government thinking on promoting emotional wellbeing and positive mental health. There remain areas of concern however and the children's charity sees the review as a crucial opportunity to call for significant improvements, including:

An increase in acknowledgement and funding for the crucial role the voluntary sector plays in providing early intervention services that boost resilience and coping.

More focus to be placed upon the participation of children and young people in commissioning and developing services. Barnardo's is calling for all CAMH services to show how they are helping children, young people and families to participate actively in CAMHS design and delivery.

More emphasis to be placed on embedding mental health promotion into the training of all children and young people's workforce including GPs and those working in nurseries, parenting groups, youth centres and ante-natal services.

A concerted effort to alter diagnostic aspects of CAMHS which continue to be dominated by the medical model. For example, labels and language used in diagnosis and treatment only add to the current stigma attached to mental health difficulties.

Barnardo's full and detailed response document to the DCSF is available upon request from the Press Office.

Barnardo's works with approximately 115,000 children, young people and their families in more than 394 specialised projects in local communities across the UK. This includes work with children affected by today's most urgent issues: poverty, homelessness, disability, bereavement and abuse.

For more information about Barnardo's visit our website at http://www.barnardos.org.uk.

We believe in the potential in every child and young person, no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. We will support them, stand up for them and bring out the best in each and every child.

Barnardo's