A growing number of children and adolescents in England are seeking access to mental health services. But the demand for these services is far outstripping capacity – and in some areas of England, children are waiting more than a year for support. It’s clear new strategies are needed to address this growing need.
Children’s charity Barnardo’s has suggested in its recently published report that social prescribing could be one effective way of addressing this demand. They’ve called on the government to introduce a national social prescribing strategy to offer children and adolescents a community-based, non-clinical alternative to traditional mental health services.
