BACP is part of a coalition of more than 120 organisations, charities and teaching unions that has supported an open letter to Downing Street highlighting the pressing challenges facing services and other support for children.
The letter, which has been sent to Prime Minister Teresa May and Chancellor Philip Hammond, says that:
- less than a third of children and young people with a diagnosable mental health problem will get access to NHS funded treatment this year1
- ninety children are being taken into care every day – this is a record high2
- only three in a hundred families of disabled children think the health and care services available to their children are adequate3
- almost three-quarters of school leaders expect they will be unable to balance their budgets in the next financial year4
- the number of children with special educational needs who are awaiting provision has more than doubled since 20105
- up to 3 million children are at risk of going hungry during school holidays6
The coalition is asking parents, guardians, families and other members of the public to show their support by signing a public petition to the Government and using the hashtag #ChildrenAtTheHeart on social media.
References
1. Government estimate for 2018/19 from Implementing The Five Year Forward View For Mental Health, 2016, NHS England:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/fyfv-mh.pdf
2. In England and Wales 32,810 children started to be looked after in 2016-17 Department for Education, 2017, Children looked after in England (including adoption), year ending 31 March 2017:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/664995/SFR50_2017-Children_looked_after_in_England.pdf
3. Disabled Children’s Partnership survey of 2,600 parents, 2017
4. National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), 2018 , Breaking Point 2017/18, A snapshot of the continuing crisis in school and academy funding:
https://www.naht.org.uk/news-and-opinion/news/funding-news/breaking-point-a-report-of-the-school-funding-crisis-in-2016-17/
5. Between 2010 and 2018 the number of children with statements or Education Health and Care Plans awaiting provision has risen from 701 to 2,060 children: Department for Education, 2018, Statements of SEN and EHC plans: England, 2018,
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statements-of-sen-and-ehc-plans-england-2018
6. Estimate from The All Party Parliamentary Group on Hunger, 2017, Hungry Holidays - A report on hunger amongst children during school holidays:
https://www.feedingbritain.org/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=f1305288-754c-4a73-80c9-094331cdd4e1