The Children's Commissioner has today published a report on the state of children's mental health services in England post-Covid19. It finds only a third of children with a probable mental health disorder are able to access treatment.
Barnardo’s Interim Co-CEO Lynn Perry MBE said:
“Barnardo’s has long warned about problems within the children’s mental health system and we are grateful to the Children’s Commissioner for shining a light on this crucial issue.
“Children need access to support before they reach crisis point but sadly all too often the help they need isn’t there. Covid-19 has taken a serious toll on children’s mental health and schools are the first place many of them seek help.
“Being able to reach this support early at school will reduce the number of children who need specialist help from specialist mental health services. This is why Barnardo’s is calling on the Government to speed up the rollout of mental health support teams to help pupils and teachers get the support they need when they need it.”