In March 2017, Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¾«×¼×ÊÁÏ, the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP), the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) and the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) launched a joint survey to capture information from members who were currently, or who had in the last five years, provided therapeutic services within the UK health services.
Headline findings
- almost a third of participants currently working in NHS children’s services reported that their service would be downsizing, with some services facing closure
- almost two-thirds of respondents stated that in their service the NHS banding for counselling
and psychotherapy roles had already or was planned to be downgraded. - participants saw worrying signs of declining services for children:
- 84% reported children have needed to have
increasingly severe levels of illness in order to get help over the past five years
- 76% said the number of posts is currently inadequate to meet clients’ needs
- 67% reported waiting times have got longer over the last five years
- 70% said waiting times are currently inadequate to meet clients’ needs
These findings suggest that NHS services for children have been increasingly starved of resources, and are now facing a staffing and resourcing crisis which is having a serious and detrimental impact on the services available to vulnerable children and young people.
See also
Third of children’s mental health services may be facing downsizing or closure
Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP), British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¾«×¼×ÊÁÏ), British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) and UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) have released the initial findings of a joint survey of over 3,000 NHS counsellors, psychotherapists and psychoanalysts.
Children, young people and families
Promoting the importance of early intervention and access to timely psychological therapies for children, young people and families is a priority for Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¾«×¼×ÊÁÏ.
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¾«×¼×ÊÁÏ Children, Young People and Families division
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¾«×¼×ÊÁÏ CYPF is for practitioners and other professionals interested in counselling and psychotherapy for children and young people.