Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the finding of the study by the University of Bristol, Mental health of children and young people in state care in England, that one in five children in care self-harmed during the covid-19 outbreak, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of mental health provision for young people in care; and what steps he is taking to ensure that young people in care are given appropriate support for their specific needs.

No specific assessment has been made. Information on access to mental health services for children and young people by child protection plan status, looked after status or care leaver status is not held centrally. We expect local commissioners and providers to consider the mental health needs of children and young people in the area, including those in care, in planning and service delivery.

We are working with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and NHS England and NHS Improvement to support local areas to deliver multi-agency suicide prevention plans, including initiatives to prevent self-harm in at-risk populations. The Department for Education invested over £1 million to pilot new approaches to mental health assessments for children entering care, which ended in March 2021. The pilots will be used to inform support for the mental health of looked-after children.