A call for change: Tackling inequalities in access to mental health support for children with social work involvement and those living in poverty (15 August 2024)

Summary

An analysis by researchers at Cambridge University and the National Children’s Bureau of more than 71,000 children’s health records shows that despite it being well established that these vulnerable children are more likely to suffer mental health conditions, they are also more likely to be refused access to NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Consultations with practitioners, clinician interviews, and analyses of health records indicate that this may be because these children’s circumstances are considered too “unstable” for mental health support. However, existing evidence suggests that some treatments can be helpful even when a child experiences ‘instability’.

The findings, welcomed by the Children’s Charities Coalition (comprising Action for Children, Barnardo's, The Children's Society, National Children's Bureau and NSPCC), shed light on the links between children’s mental health, social care and deprivation.

Researchers have uncovered how children are more likely to be rejected by CAMHS than their peers if they have social work involvement for current concerns, whether that is because they are being supported by social workers generally or are on child protection plans.