“Waiting too long for support can escalate issues for children and young people, increasing the complexity of their needs and the risk that they will need life-long and expensive support, ultimately reducing their quality of life, for the rest of their lives."
Responding to a report by the Children’s Commissioner on the state of children’s mental health services, Cllr Judith Blake, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, said:
“This report supports our call for greater investment in the services that help children have mentally healthy childhoods and reduce the pressure on the services that treat mental illness in children. Supporting children early on to reduce the need for clinical interventions means more can receive help when they need it, rather than waiting until they are unwell.
“Waiting too long for support can escalate issues for children and young people, increasing the complexity of their needs and the risk that they will need life-long and expensive support, ultimately reducing their quality of life, for the rest of their lives.
“There needs to be a shift away from treating children once they are diagnosed with a mental illness towards helping them and their families cope with challenges before they escalate.
“Local authorities have a vital role in helping children have mentally healthy childhoods. With long-term investment in essential early intervention and prevention services, councils can help children avoid reaching crisis point in the first place.”