Mental Health and Looked After Children Time for change not more of the same

There are fundamental difficulties currently existing with mental health provision for all children including LAC at this time within the UK. Investment into service provision is highlighted as the main barrier in providing support or intervention for children or adolescents, there appears to be little regard for the longer term costs of not providing support or intervention. This includes a deterioration mental wellbeing, and overall health as portrayed within the ACE study. These factors directly correlate to any future employment and adult service need. More concerning are the wider impact indicators for LAC as they progress throughout adolescence. It is well documented that LAC individually and collectively achieve less academically than their peers, and are more likely to be excluded within behaviour policies for schools in addition to being identified as having SEN compared to their peers. Within the Youth Justice system there are proportionally more LAC than their non LAC peers and higher levels of substance misuse. All recommendations addressing early intervention for the mental wellbeing of not only LAC but all children, highlight the positive outcomes in economic terms for the Government and for the individual both short and long term. Whilst a review of current provision may be urgently required, this appears to be a repetition of what is already known. This report argues that it is now time for change not more of the same and whilst on the 9th January 2017 Theresa May, Prime Minister for the UK, announced new approaches to Mental Health for Children and Young People asking that the Care Quality Commission lead a review of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to ascertain what works well and what does not. Whilst this may be commendable, a review of this nature has been available since 2009. This suggests that even when recommendations are made little changes in the real world for these childre