Coalition urges Scottish Government to use additional £25m budget funding to improve mental health services for children and young people
A leading coalition of children’s service providers has called on the Scottish Government to plough in £25 million to improve mental health services for vulnerable children and young people in Scotland.
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC) says current services are at “crisis point” with many not be fit for purpose, leading to hundreds of vulnerable young people missing out or waiting too long for the treatment and support they require.
The coalition says the £25m – equal to the share of additional funding coming to Scotland for mental health provision in Wednesday’s budget – is needed particularly as Scottish Government figures show those classified as having additional support needs has more than doubled from 69,587 in 2010 to 140,542 in 2014
Currently half of Scotland’s health boards are also failing to meet an 18-week Scottish Government waiting time target for treatment from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
This is set against a background of a 10 fold increase in waiting times for those waiting more than 13 weeks to access services from 20 in December 2013 to 226 in December 2014.
A society should be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens and at the moment mental health services in Scotland are at breaking point
According to figures from the Mental Welfare Commission (MWC) the number of children and young people being admitted to non-specialist units such as adult and paediatric wards has increased from 177 last year to 202.
There is also no secure/locked provision in Scotland for under 18s meaning some are being sent miles away from their families to England for treatment.
Sophie Pilgrim, a member of the SCSC and director of Kindred Scotland, said mental health services are at breaking point.
“A society should be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens and at the moment mental health services in Scotland are at breaking point,” she said.
“Due to a lack of adequate provision hundreds of vulnerable children and young people are being treated in unsuitable adult or paediatric wards, or being sent miles away from their families to England for treatment.
“There is also no secure inpatient provision in Scotland for those children and young people with mental health conditions. This is clearly a major concern for any organisation upholding the rights of the child in Scotland.
“Scotland aims to lead the way in promoting the wellbeing of children and this funding presents us with a momentous opportunity to rectify the situation and help those families that are in crisis.
“We urge that the Scottish Government takes this opportunity to go that extra mile and ensure that we have a range of mental health services available in Scotland for those who so vitally need it.”
