Author: Patrick McFall
Last saved by: Shirley James

Children and Young People’s Mental Health
We found that the mental health services that children and young people rely on are complex and fragmented and that makes it harder for them to get the support that they need. 
A couple of signs of a system that’s really under pressure:
The number of referrals to acute services has gone up by 22% over the last five years. 
And the number of rejected referrals has also gone  up.
And people are also having to wait longer for the support that they need.
More than a quarter of children and young people are waiting more than 18 weeks to get treatment once they’ve been referred.
All of that means that we think there needs to be a step change in the availability of services to help children and young people where they really need it. 
There’s no one agency that can make this work. We think the Scottish Government, health boards, councils and their partners in the voluntary sector need to work together.
Three things I think are needed:
first of all there’s a much clearer view of what works for children and young people,
secondly, a plan to make the changes that are required, and 
thirdly, a move away from relying on short-term isolated initiatives.
A really good first step would be understanding how children and young people access mental health services just now and what difference those services are making to their lives.
ENDS