Teen mental health concern - 'The lack of staff charged with caring for children and adolescents is unacceptable'

Mental health services for children and teenagers are provided by just over half the staff recommended in a major report — published 10 years ago.

Staffing of Child and Adolescent Mental Health teams (CAMHS) are just 51.6% the level recommended in A Vision for Change, a government report on mental health policy, published in 2006.

Last year, 19% of children admitted to hospital with mental health issues spent time in adult psychiatric wards, the Mental Health Commission’s annual report showed.