In January 2017, the Prime Minister asked the Care Quality Commission to lead "a major review of children and adolescent mental health services across the country" to identify what works well and what does not.
Firstly, we looked at what had come before – we looked at the research and we listened to young people who generously shared their experiences. We found that children and young people faced difficulties in accessing appropriate support for their mental health concerns from a system that was fragmented and where services vary in quality. Sadly, there is much to be done if we as a country are to make high-quality, accessible care a reality for children and young with mental health needs.
So what happens now? We have seen first-hand that solutions exist. There are things that can be, and in some areas are being, done to transform the experiences of children and young people with mental health needs. We intend to highlight the excellent care that we have found and challenge the barriers that can have a lasting impact. Many of us have a role to play in identifying and supporting the mental health needs of children and young people and we share the responsibility of creating an effective and compassionate system based on their needs.
Dr Paul Lelliott
Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (lead for mental health)
