Children's mental health

Healthwatch York heard from a number of people experiencing significant challenges in trying to access Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS.).  They analysed their feedback in this report and undertook a literature review.

The current process lacks the flexibility to recognise the individual needs of parents and children; for example some families struggle with appointments being given during school drop off and pick up times. There is a need for better awareness of training and resources available to teachers, schools and those involved in the initial referral.

The pathway through the referral process is unclear, and the reliance on forms prior to, or instead of, conversations can leave parents and professionals ill-informed on how best to assist moving the referral process forward. There is a clear need for better administration processes.

There is heavy reliance on self-advocacy or parental advocacy to make sure the child can access the care they need. It is unclear to parents what triggers a CAMHS diagnosis and in which circumstances you should be signposted to other services. There is a need for more effective partnership working between organisations working to support children’s mental wellbeing.