Care in mind : improving the mental health of children and young people in state care in Scotland

Some five thousand children and young people are in residential and foster care in Scotland. Many experience poor outcomes and concern about the quality of care has led to a number of government initiatives including the registration of care services and the social care workforce. Children and young people in state care experience a high level of mental health problems. Mental health services, however, have not served this vulnerable group well. The issue of the mental health of children and young people is now high on the government's agenda. A national needs assessment has set out an important agenda for the development of services. In addition, a number of innovative projects have focused on meeting the mental health needs of children and young people in state care. It is important that these developments lead to integrated and flexible mental health services in order to improve outcomes and well-being of children and young people in state care in Scotland

Supporting Looked After Children and Young People at School: A Scottish Case Study

The research outlined in this report aimed to study the arrangements for supporting looked after children in schools, including the transfer of information between social work and education, knowledge of the children, the awareness of key staff of the appropriate school and care environments, and the role of the designated senior manager with responsibility for looked after children. The research employed a case study approach, based on one 'learning community' (i.e. a local cluster of schools) within the City of Glasgow, Scotland. The learning community comprised a secondary school, four primary schools, two nursery schools and a pre-school children's centre. The research approach involved interviews with key informants and more informal contact, both in person and by email. Other important elements in the project included completion of a comprehensive data sheet for each young person and provision of mentoring support for the learning community via informal advice, passing on information, and by the provision of a training course for teachers and carers

Book review : Forgotten children: addressing the health needs of looked after children and young people. The Residential Care Health Project, Astron, Edinburgh

Forgotten Children is the report of the Lothian-based Residential Care Health Project. It should be compulsory reading for any health and social work professional who works with looked after and accommodated children. At a simple level, it adds further confirmation of the serious health difficulties facing young people looked after away from their families. The team discovered high levels of psychological and physical morbidity – much of which had either not been diagnosed before or had been lost to follow up because of the lack of stability in children's lives

The Educational Attainment of Looked After Children - Local Authority Pilot Projects : Final Research Report

The aim of the research was to identify interventions that appeared to make the most difference in terms of both the educational experience and outcomes of the looked after children and young people participating in the local authority pilot projects. Data on attendance, exclusions and attainment were collected for a population of more than 600 children and young people. The research also analysed qualitative data, based on interviews with project co-ordinators, professionals, children and young people, and their parents and carers

It's not just about the adults

This article discusses how important it is for children in residential care to develop the ability to navigate relationships with each other. The current focus on the importance of relationships between adults and children can become distorted so that relationships that may exist between young people and their peers may not be given the respect or importance that they deserve. This is often explained through a misuse of attachment or trauma theory by suggesting that young people are not emotionally 'ready' to cope with peer relationships

The work of health visitors and school nurses with children with psychological and behavioural problems

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to describe the workload of health visitors and school nurses in relation to children and young people with psychological, emotional or behavioural problems, and to identify perceived challenges, obstacles and sources of satisfaction associated with this aspect of their work. Background.  There is little published information on the work performed by non-specialist community nurses with children and young people who have psychological, emotional and behavioural problems. Method.  We analysed data from a survey conducted in 2002 – 2003 of 1049 Scottish professionals working with children and young people. Data included quantitative responses and free-text describing the cases seen by respondents. Responses from a sub-sample of 71 health visitors and 100 school nurses were analysed using a combination of descriptive statistics and analysis of themes emerging from the text. Findings.  Although community-based nurses saw a relatively small number of children with psychological, emotional or behavioural problems each week, dealing with these problems took up a disproportionate amount of time. The commonest types of problem were self-harm, externalizing behaviours and family difficulties. Few respondents had received specific training in child and adolescent mental health but most expressed a wish to receive such training. Conclusion.  The work of health visitors and school nurses in caring for children with mental health problems is substantial and important. Development of their public health role should not be at the expense of this important contribution. There is a need for rigorous evaluation of nursing mental health interventions among children and young people

Teachers' responses to the emotional needs of children and young people. Results from the Scottish Needs Assessment Programme

The Scottish Needs Assessment Programme (SNAP) was established in 2000 to advise the Scottish Government on the emotional health of the country's children and young people. The second phase, conducted in 2002-2003, involved surveying professionals who provide specialist mental health services to children and young people, and also those who work with children and young people in a variety of settings but whose training is not in mental health. Based on the survey, this paper outlines the emotional difficulties faced by children and young people in educational settings, and describes how teachers in particular are responding to these difficulties. It also discusses teachers' experiences of working with other professionals and agencies, in particular the frustrations they feel in their efforts to make suitable arrangements on behalf of young people