Government has “not grasped” the child mental health services “crisis”, say Lords who warn landmark legislation has “failed” to improve young people’s lives.
The cross-party Children and Families Act 2014 committee found the legislation has “largely sat on the shelf” and “languished” as a result of poor implementation, inadequate scrutiny and “incessant churn” among ministers.
The act was aimed at giving greater protection to vulnerable children, those with special needs, and to help families where the parents are separating.
The committee, made up of 12 Lords, also looked at what the act didn’t cover, but impacted many aspects of the law, including children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
Lords are “deeply concerned” about the state of CAMHS, adding “they are in crisis. This is a grave threat both to the success of individual provisions of the act and to its overarching aim of enhancing the lives of children and their families”.
