MP Welcomes More Emotional Support For Children And Young People In Cumbria

South Lakeland MP Tim Farron has welcomed the news that children and young people in Cumbria with mental health issues will have access to more support, thanks to new investment.

Tim has long campaigned for better mental health provision, and in 2014 commissioned a report called 'Born in South Lakeland - developing emotionally resilient children' to examine young people's mental health provision in South Lakeland.

Children and Young Peoples Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (CYPIAPT) is a national programme which Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has fully signed up to. It aims to support and help children and young people with issues such as depression and anxiety, as part of a whole system approach to their emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Previously, there was no such support in Cumbria. The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) is a 'Tier 3' service, which means that it is commissioned to support those with the most serious mental health issues, which clearly left a gap in the support available. Thanks to this programme and investment from Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, NHS England, Barnardos and Action for Children, IAPT fills that gap.

There has also been investment to train staff who work with young people with more serious and complex needs, as well as to deliver a Parent Training Programme to help parents understand how to support children with mental health conditions as well as eating disorders.

Tim said: "This is very welcome news. In 2014, the 'Born in south Lakeland' report into children's mental health provision in our area found that there was a stigma about discussing young people's mental health, and that it suffered from a lack of funding compared to physical health. This latest announcement shows that we are addressing those issues and improving the support available for children and young people. It is important that we support our young people with any mental health issues they might have, and this announcement means that we are better able to do that."