Full story in The Guardian, 7 October 2018
More children than ever are seeking specialist mental health treatment in England but tens of thousands are being turned away despite evidence of self-harm or abuse, according to a report.
An investigation by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) found that referrals to children’s mental health services in England had increased by 26% over the last five years – but nearly one in four were rejected, meaning that at least 55,000 children were not accepted for treatment in 2017-18.
Most were rejected because their condition was not regarded as serious enough to meet eligibility criteria – including young people who had experienced abuse or showed evidence of self-harm.