Children's Mental Health Service 'overwhelmed' admits Manx Care

83% increase in demand for help since 2020

Manx Care says it’s working to establish a ‘multi-agency network’ in order to bring waiting lists down in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.

It’s described an 83 per cent increase in the number of children waiting for assessment or treatment, over the past two years, as ‘stark’.

That equates to one in 10 children.  

The current caseload for the CAMHS service stands at 1,370.

Manx Care has blamed Covid-19 and the lack of a multi-agency strategy for dealing with mental health and emotional wellbeing from an early age.

It says this means a large number of children are referred to CAMHS which places added pressure on the team and creates longer waiting lists.

The UK, by contrast, has a number of other agencies which people can attend before reaching CAMHS.

Now Manx Care says it wants to introduce the Thrive Framework which will bring together government, the private sector and the third sector.

The network will work to support the mental health and wellbeing needs of children, young people up to the age of 25 and the adults who look after them.

According to Manx Care: ‘The support network is based on a defined set of principles and aims to effect groups working together in partnership rather than entities working to support individuals in silos.’

Ross Bailey, head of integrated mental health services, and Teresa Cope, chief executive of Manx Care, spoke to Manx Radio’s John Moss: