Better mental health support needed, say children in care and care leavers

Over 300 care-experienced young people have sent a message to Children's Minister Janet Daby calling for better mental health support.

The young people were responding to the ‘A National Voice’ consultation, the children in care council for England hosted by Coram Voice, which highlighted three priorities for the Department for Education Minister, who has been in post since last Summer.

Care-experienced children and young people said better mental health support was needed, with 63% of respondents identifying this as the top issue to be tackled.

“Your mental health impacts everything; everyday life, education, just getting up in the morning,” said one young person. Their suggestions included “opt-out rather than opt-in” counselling and therapy and “more and better trauma training for staff, teachers and foster carers.”

Just under half (45%) of care-experienced young people also urged professionals to listen to them in decisions about their lives, saying this should be a priority. “The decisions made about our lives are often out of our control,” said one young person, adding: “it creates chaos and fear in young people which lasts a lifetime”

The third priority was for care-experienced children and young people to have better support to build relationships.

“When I was first in care I didn't understand or know how to have good/friendly relationships,” said one respondent. “It would be good to have help learning this.”

Other asks of the Children’s Minister included more honesty from professionals working with young people, and for young people to be kept informed on progress.

“You have the power to transform lives,” said one young person who responded to the consultation. “For children in care and care leavers like me, the system can be the difference between struggling to survive or finding the confidence to thrive. Your decisions can create a future where every child in care feels valued, supported, and capable of achieving their dreams. We are not just statistics. We are future leaders, entrepreneurs, teachers, artists, and innovators—but we can only reach our potential if the system lifts us up instead of holding us back.”

Brigid Robinson, Managing Director of Coram Voice, said the consultation response sends a “powerful message from care-experienced children and young people that they need more and better support – particularly around mental health.”