Delivering Community Based Quality Mental Health CARE for Children and Young People in England, the Ongoing Opportunities and Challenges, with a Focus on School Life in Somerset, UK, Illustrated by Case Studies

Abstract

Introduction: Around 1 in 8 children and young people (CYP) in England experience behavioural or emotional problems growing up. For some, these will resolve with time, while others will need professional support. Mental ill health is a leading cause of health-related disabilities and can have adverse and long-lasting effects. Despite service developments, The ValuesBased Child and Adolescent Mental Health System Commission considered that the mental health and well-being of children and young people has never been of greater concern for a multitude of reasons, including rising levels of self-harm, eating disorders and depression, along with the adverse impacts of social media. However the Commission argued that schools are struggling to support CYP and these problems persist despite national debate and proposals to tackle the challenges (ValuesBased Child and Adolescent Mental Health System Commission. The whole situation has been dramatically escalated however as a result of the COVID - 19 pandemic, and the consequential lockdowns and high-level restrictions that have been put in place. This situation has highlighted both existing problems and creating new demand. In addition as a direct result of the pandemic, CYP may also have to endure personal illness, or more likely, cope with unexpected serious illness or even the death of someone close to them, such as a family member, thus potentially adding feelings of sadness, loss and grief to existing emotional obstacles. Discussion: This paper presents an overview of how one county in England, Somerset (with its own limitations including rurality and significant poverty) has sought to address the needs of CYP at this unprecedented time. The work of different organisations in Somerset is discussed and interventions aimed at helping meet the needs of CYP struggling with mental ill health are presented and further illustrated through the use of case studies from one of the key organisations involved, Young Somerset. Key evidence based resources are highlighted to help practitioners in other localities find help for their own CYP needing help and support. Conclusion: There can be no doubt that our children and young people nationally and locally here in Somerset currently, and into the future, have many difficulties to overcome to optimise, a situation made much worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. The depth and breadth of the present and future difficulties facing our CYP has now been recognized nationally and locally. However, different localities have different resource levels but also CYP present a vast range of needs and personal obstacles. Consequently, our future, our present children and young people need help and support from ALL of us going forward. In addition to other traumas endured because of the COVID-19, a catastrophic legacy MUST NOT is a tsunami of mental and physical ill health for our present children and young people. This is a whole nation challenge, not just something to be left to the organisations that have a formal duty to provide care and intervention, each and every one of us has to be there to secure the wellbeing of our future nation.