'Long way to go' to improve child mental health services

Sally Holland said some children cannot use mental health services when they need them

Agencies have not "properly touched the surface" of what is needed to improve child mental health services, Wales' children's commissioner has warned.

Sally Holland said progress had been made to ensure better access to specialist services agreed waiting time targets were now "ambitious".

But she told an assembly committee there was "an awful long way to go".

Prof Holland was giving evidence to an inquiry into the emotional and mental health of children and young people.

Speaking to the Children, Young People and Education Committee, she said that "across all the agencies responsible for this we haven't really properly touched the surface of reforming prevention and early intervention aspects of children's emotional and mental health - I think there's an awful long way to go".

Prof Holland said young people's ability to access mental health services was inconsistent and patchy across Wales

She said some children did not get the help they needed when they needed it, due to a lack of advocacy services to argue their case.

"Community Health Councils are only required to provide for those aged 18 plus and the provision for those under 18 is patchy and inconsistent in my view," she said.

"It is commissioned by some Health Boards from external providers, but that's not consistently done."