Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 32700, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) extent to which clinical need can be determined in the absence of a comprehensive specialist initial assessment and (b) extent to which Local Transformation Plans assess need.

Whilst there are a range of health care professionals, for example youth workers and teachers, who deliver interventions and support for children and young people with mental health conditions, clinical need should be determined by a specialist initial assessment in line with guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

To improve awareness and knowledge of children and young people’s mental health, the Department of Health has invested £3 million into expanding MindEd, which is a free e-learning platform, so that those in contact with children can better recognise when help is needed and can ensure they get it.

MindEd for Families was also recently launched on 21 April, funded by the Department for Education, to improve knowledge and awareness, reduce stigma and improve parents and carers’ ability to intervene early in mental health issues.

In developing local transformation plans, local areas were asked to work with their key partners across health, education, youth justice and local authorities, and crucially, involving young people and their families, to agree locally how best to meet the mental health needs of children and young people in their local populations. These plans should address the full spectrum of mental health, from prevention and resilience building, to support and care for existing and emerging mental health problems, as well as transitions between services.