20th January 2025 • My Family Our Needs

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) annual assessment of the state of health and social care in England was released at the tail end of last year.

The data collected through the most recent assessment revealed that delays in receiving the right support at the right time and place can have significant and long-term consequences for children and young people.

Some treatments and interventions become less effective if not delivered at a specific age or developmental stage. In some circumstances, the opportunity for intervention can be missed entirely when the wait for diagnosis is too long.

The lack of support for children and young people is not just a problem for now, but also for the future. If the children of today do not receive the help and support they need in good time, they are at an increased risk of developing long-term mental or physical illnesses later in life which potentially could have an effect on their quality of life.

Accessing good care continues to be a struggle for many as services across the country face challenges in recruitment which has a knock-on effect on how many people can be helped and supported.

In 2023, 1 in 5 children and young people between the ages of 8 and 25 were estimated to have a mental health illness and they are likely to continue into adulthood if adequate and timely intervention and support is not provided.

One young person described the consequences they faced after receiving what they felt to be inadequate support. They said, ‘I didn’t know what to do because I didn’t have any GCSEs and I thought no one’s gonna want to give me a job and I’m not gonna be able to go to college… I wasn’t a normal person of my age because I was in hospital and I missed out on all the things.’

In contrast, a young person who felt they had a positive experience said, ‘I do still think back on my time at CAHMS and I was like, if I didn’t [get that support], I would be in such a different place today… I got very lucky.’

The CQC report also highlights concerns about care for autistic people and people with a learning disability. The wait for an autism assessment is much longer for children and young people, with the average wait being up to 356 days (as of April 2024). Receiving an autism diagnosis can be vital as it enables children who may be struggling at school to get the right help and support, making a crucial difference for them in the present and in the future.

Overall, the CQC report highlighted a need for greater focus on children and young people’s services at both national and local levels. The CQC suggests that consistent funding targeted to areas of early intervention and having an understanding of the gaps in the provision of care and treatment to ensure children and young people’s needs can be met on the local level could ease the issue.

Ian Dilks, Chair of CQC, said, ‘While some children are receiving timely, appropriate care, we know that there are more who don’t, with potential long-term repercussions for their mental and physical health. Action now – targeted funding for early intervention, better understanding of local need and improved management of demand, and genuine two-way communication with children and families – will help to ensure a healthier population tomorrow.

‘The health and wellbeing of a nation’s children has been described as the best predictor of its future prosperity; failing to ensure good, safe care for our children today also risks failing their future.’

Whilst the CQC report shows that children and young people are being let down before they receive diagnosis, those that do get diagnoses may not fare much better. A report by the Commons Public Accounts Committee warns that a crisis is looming concerning children with SEND due to rising diagnosis numbers and local authorities having financial difficulties.

The Committee report shows that whilst the number of children who need EHCPs has increased by 140% since 2015, children receiving special education needs school support has only increased by 14% since 2015.

These numbers are not equal across the country with some local authorities being able to offer more support than others. Children are supposed to receive a support plan from the local authority within 20 weeks. However, in the Isle of Wight, no plans were completed within that timeframe, whilst in Southampton all support plans were drawn up within 20 weeks.

In connection, councils are reportedly spending £2 billion to send children to private SEND schools, a 46% increase from 2018-19, as a result of a lack of suitable places at state schools.

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, Conservative Chair of the Committee, said, ‘Urgent warnings have long been issued to the Government on the failing SEND system. […] Families in need of help have been forced to spend precious energy fighting for the support they are legally entitled to.’

He continued, ‘The immensity of this situation cannot be overstated. As a nation, we are failing countless children. We have been doing so for years. […] Every day that goes by for families not receiving the right support is another day closer to a lost generation of young people.’