Young voices must be heard to help shape the care system’s future around emotional and mental wellbeing

• NSPCC Cymru/Wales and Voices From Care Cymru have launched ‘Listen.Act.Thrive’ after speaking to children and young people who have experienced the Welsh care system,
• The two charities have made six recommendations to the Welsh Government with a particular focus on the emotional and mental wellbeing of young people.
• NSPCC Cymru/Wales wants those who have experienced care in Wales to help shape the system’s future by being given the opportunity to feed into an expert panel.
• NSPCC research states that more than two thirds of care-experienced children and young people in Wales have been either abused or neglected.

Thursday 14 March

CHILDREN and young people who have experienced the care system in Wales should help shape the way these services are provided in future by forming part of an expert panel to work alongside the Welsh Government, according to NSPCC Cymru/Wales.

The call from the leading child protection charity comes following the launch of ‘Listen.Act.Thrive. – The Emotional and Mental Health of Care Experienced Children and Young People’ in Cardiff on Monday.

NSPCC Cymru/Wales worked with fellow charity Voices from Care Cymru to explore how care-experienced children and young people’s emotional and mental health needs are being assessed and supported.

A care-experienced child and young person is regarded as someone who is or has been in the care of their local authority.

According to How Safe 2018, the NSPCC’s overview of child protection in the UK, 67.5 per cent of care-experienced children and young people in Wales have been abused or neglected.

The research follows measures introduced in 2014 when Wales became the first UK nation to require that the mental health of children and young people is assessed upon entry into care under the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014.

But evidence gathered during the project suggests that young people in care have difficulty accessing emotional and mental health support services.

One young person during the consultation said: “Young people who speak out are not attention seekers,” while another said: “You have to be at crisis point to get the help you need – this is not good enough.”

Together, the two charities recommend that the Welsh Government make the following changes, including:

• Involving young people who have experienced the care system in the planning of improved mental health services and dedicated CAMHS resources for care-experienced children and young people.
• Allowing care-experienced young people to contribute to the expert panel which will work with the Welsh Government to review existing provision and assessment methods.
• Training adults working with care-experienced children so that they have the skills to respond to emotional and mental health needs.
• Offering activities that aim to help the wellbeing of children in care which could include outdoor activities and painting.

Last year (2018) 6,405 children were classified as being looked after by local authorities in Wales, the highest number this decade.

Viv Laing, the NSPCC’s policy and public affairs manager in Wales, said: “Thousands of children are looked after by local authorities in Wales, because they have suffered abuse or neglect in 2016/17.“In addition to early intervention and support, it is vital that these children’s voices are heard. We want those who have the best understanding of what the care system in Wales is like to help improve it for those who will need it in the future.” “It is of great importance that the responsible bodies including the regional partnership boards prioritise the very real issues that the report has highlighted.” “I’m pleased that that both NSPCC Cymru/Wales and Voices From Care Cymru are working together to share the views of care-experienced young people to understand how we can support people in the future.”

Listen.Act.Thrive involved a consultation with 21 care-experienced young people aged between 15 and 21, along with surveying 26 looked-after children nurses and 44 independent reviewing officers in Wales.

Julie Morgan AM, the deputy minister for health and social services, said: “It is vital to hear the views of young people who have experience of the care system in Wales and how they believe access to mental health and emotional wellbeing support should be delivered.

Deborah Jones, the CEO of Voices From Care Cymru, said: “Voices From Care Cymru welcomes the joint report undertaken with NSPCC Cymru/Wales and accepts that the recommendations are paramount in throwing a light on the mental health and wellbeing challenges that care experienced children and young people are faced with.

“Most of these children have been exposed to trauma so it absolutely vital they receive a mental health assessment and support services to overcome their experiences. Supporting the emotional and mental health of children and young people in care will ensure that they thrive later in life.

Last year (2018) 6,405 children were classified as being looked after by local authorities in Wales, the highest number this decade.