Teen had support before death - coroner rules

Finn Hall, 16, died in November 2022

A coroner has said that an NHS trust "provided significant support" to a teenager before he took his own life despite his mum asking for full-time care.

Finn Hall, 16, died in November 2022 after his mother Hannah Boothroyd asked for her son to be kept in residential care to prevent him from harming himself.

Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust provided psychological care, assigned him a key worker and prescribed various medication in the months before his death.

At the conclusion of an inquest into Finn's death, assistant coroner Angela Brocklehurst gave her condolences to Finn's family and said: "No parent should have to see their child die."

At Bradford Coroner's Court, Ms Brocklehurst said: "I am satisfied that Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust provided significant support on many occasions and platforms to care for Finn and his family within the recourses available to them and within the extent of Finns cooperation."

'Psychologically troubled'

Finn had missed an appointment with the trust on 16 November, two days before he was found dead by his family in his home in Keighley.

The family had moved to Keighley from Huddersfield after Ms Boothroyd's partner was physically abusive to her, the inquest heard.

Ms Brocklehurst said: "Finn was a psychologically troubled young man suffering from emotional difficulties having witnessed domestic violence in his home between the ages of 11 and 13 years."

She also noted instances of abuse by former friends.

The coroner said it was not in her remit to decide whether residential care would have benefitted Finn, but noted that it was not discussed within the NHS trust.

Finn Hall's mum Hannah felt he needed to be placed in residential care

Throughout the inquest, evidence showed that Finn had begun self-harming in year 7 at school and had suicidal thoughts from year 9 onwards.

The court heard how in 2022, Finn had told his family it was going to be "the best Christmas ever" because it was "going to be his last" and had bought his family gifts to remember him by.

A care plan drawn up by NHS trust's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) recommended he should be cared for at home by his family.

Ms Boothroyd, who said she had three other children with their own specific care needs, had said: "CAMHS was supposed to be the professionals but all they did was tell me to stay with Finn 24-hours a day, but also give him privacy.

"I was a single parent, how was I supposed to look after Finn 24-hours a day?"

'Number of improvements'

A spokesperson for Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust said it had carried out a "thorough investigation" to identify any learnings for services directly involved "in the care of children and young people's mental health" since Finn's death.

"We have made a number of improvements, including how we involve young people, families and carers in the assessment and treatment of their mental health needs, and specialist training for clinicians on assessing risks when children and young people are experiencing a mental health crisis," they added.

The family's solicitor said they were disappointed the coroner made no recommendations for further changes at the trust and will continue a civil claim against the service.

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