Much has been written in recent months about Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), and the issues which plague its ways of working.
A recent survey of parents by charity Young Minds on behalf of NHS England revealed that two-thirds believed they did not get enough support and that one-quarter had to wait more than a year for treatment for their child, as well as numerous other problems.
In an ideal world, CAMHS would support schools that have serious concerns about a student's mental health. Instead, the system is inefficient and many urgent referrals get stuck on endless waiting lists.
Staff in many of the schools where I have consulted tell me of their frustrations that not a single student they refer to CAMHS ever gains immediate support, even if the student is self-harming.
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