In March 2017, BACP, 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
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Third of children’s mental health services may be facing downsizing or closure
Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP), British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP), 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.
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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 BACP.
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BACP Children, Young People and Families division
BACP CYPF is for practitioners and other professionals interested in counselling and psychotherapy for children and young people.