A System at a Crossroads: An Assessment of the Strategic Design and Delivery of Children’s Mental Health Services Through a Child’s Rights-based Approach

The following report is a periodic review that shines a spotlight on the deep‑rooted challenges and barriers facing children and young people’s mental health services, calling for immediate and meaningful action.

The report is crucial amid concerns that these vital services remain out of reach for many, and it asks questions about the operation and direction of strategic planning and the delivery of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

‘A System at a Crossroads’ builds upon NICCY’s original “Still Waiting” investigation from 2018, which identified critical shortcomings in the region’s mental health support for young people. The report discovered a mental health system under significant pressure, struggling to respond to both the scale of need, and the complexity of issues which young people presented with.

The full report, its appendices, an Executive Summary, and a version a the report for children and young people, can be downloaded on the right-hand side of this page.