Tackling the silent majority of unaddressed CAMHS cases has become a challenge for many schools. Daniel Sobel discusses two particular problems


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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