Children and Young People: Mental Health Services Debate

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Department: Department of Health and Social Care

Children and Young People: Mental Health Services

Baroness Massey of Darwen Excerpts
Thursday 8th March 2018

(6 years, 2 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Massey of Darwen Portrait Baroness Massey of Darwen (Lab)
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My Lords, I too welcome the Green Paper. Last November I conducted a seminar in Portcullis House of European parliamentarians, children, NGOs and academics. The most important thing there was the voice of the young people. Their concerns have been expressed already—joined-up thinking, early intervention and well-trained professionals. Does the Minister agree that these are important? Does he further agree that the voice of the child in all this is absolutely paramount?

Lord O'Shaughnessy Portrait Lord O’Shaughnessy
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I know that the noble Baroness speaks with deep experience and passion on this subject and I completely agree; it is about making sure that those children’s voices are heard. We recognise that the picture of fragmentation described in the CQC report is not good enough and that is one of things we are trying to fix. It is a historic issue and it cannot be done overnight but we are working on it.