Social Care News

Boost for mental health funding for children and young people announced

The Welsh Government has announced an additional £7.6m in funding for mental health services for children and young people in Wales.

The announcement was made today (May 22) by health minister Mark Drakeford who said the additional funding will help improve specialist child and adolescent mental health services’ (CAMHS).

The aim of the funding is to help CAMHS to improve services including:

• responding out of hours and at times of crisis
• expanding access to psychological therapies for young people
• improving provision for children and young people in local primary mental health support services
• ensuring services intervene early to meet the needs of young people who develop psychosis

Funding will also be available to develop services for the most vulnerable young people who are already in – or are at danger of entering – the youth justice system.

Professor Drakeford said: "The additional funding I’m announcing today will help to drive a range of important improvements in child and adolescent mental health services across Wales.

"A considerable amount of work is now underway to move CAMHS forward. I have always been clear that money alone is not the answer for all the challenges facing the NHS, but the changes we are seeking to make to these services are the most significant for many years and ensuring appropriate resources are available will help to achieve the right outcomes for children and young people."

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Welsh Government news: £7.6m funding boost for children and young people’s mental health services in Wales