Mental health services for children and young people in Wales are in crisis, according to Welsh children’s commissioner Peter Clarke, writes Alex Dobson.

In his annual report, the commissioner describes a number of crucial failings in services, which include, no children’s inpatient beds in Wales, no adolescent forensic service, as well as virtually no service for children with learning disabilities, and no emergency adolescent beds. 

There are a lower number of adolescent inpatient beds per head of population in Wales than anywhere else in the UK.

Clarke said publication of 'Everybody’s Business'  in 2001 - the all-Wales strategy for child and adolescent mental health services, was welcomed by many practitioners and commentators. But he warned that although the strategy was bold, imaginative and child centred, no funding, had been identified and ringfenced to implement the strategy by the Welsh Assembly, which commissioned the report.

“The consequences are all too clear. I have been approached directly by professionals and their associations, and by individuals acting on behalf of young people.

"Their message is the same: they speak of a service in crisis, with poor and patchy provision, and a worrying drain of skilled and professional workers. Those remaining talk of low morale,” he said.

The commissioner warns that because there are no emergency adolescent beds in Wales some young people are admitted to adult psychiatric wards. He describes the plight of Welsh children being placed hundreds of miles away from their families and their country, as "wholly unacceptable".

Clarke said that his office were aware of consultants with waiting lists of well over 12 months, and of significant staff vacancies in psychiatric and psychological services.

“The lack of appropriate and timely help to young people with mental health problems can blight their entire lives,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Welsh Assembly said the commissioner’s report would be debated on Wednesday 5 November.

Full copy of the report