Mental health service changes leave children with nowhere to turn
Warning from city charities as vital funding to be stopped
Major changes to how children’s mental health services are delivered in Edinburgh could leave some of the city’s most vulnerable young people with “nowhere to turn”, charities set to have their funding stopped have warned.
Organisations across the Capital were told by the council last month their contracts will come to an end in October “without any discussion or consultation”, despite continuation of funding being “anticipated”.
And they have criticised plans to overhaul community mental health provision due to there being “nowhere to refer these young people to”.
The “vital” services, which help thousands of local youngsters experiencing extreme stress, anxiety and depression are funded by an annual £1.3 million to council from the Scottish Government, which confirmed last month the grant would continue to be provided in 2024-25.
The local authority said the changes were part of a review of all contract spending by its children, education and justice services to “ensure that the limited resources are being utilised in the best interests of Edinburgh’s children, young people and their families”.
It said a new outsourcing framework would allow “small and micro-organisations to apply [for funding] in a more flexible manner”.
However, Leith-based children’s mental health charity, The Junction, which is among the groups told their funding would not be continued, said the framework would be open to “very few third sector organisations” without “significant changes”.
Addressing the education committee last week, director Cara Spence said: “Ending services without alternatives will have significant impacts on young people and their families who will have nowhere to turn.”
She said since 2021 the funding has supported more than 1000 young people in Leith alone and if it was stopped as planned there would be “limited referral options” for young people and their families with long waiting lists for NHS services.
Led by The Junction, the Leith Mental Health Partnership’s support services include a counselling service, oneto-one support for young people, a girls’ group, and a group for black, Asian and minority ethnic young people.
“Current communication indicates all of these services will end,” Ms Spence warned.
“Many young people highlight these services are life-saving, particularly for young people who experience suicidal ideation.
“We’ve been asked to carry out an exit strategy but at present there’s nowhere to refer these young people to.
“We believe that community mental health funding has been provided to the council by the Scottish Government following an announcement in March 2024, therefore future funding or continuation funding was anticipated by organisations across the city.
“We are aware of discussions that funding could be provided through the Framework for Accredited Pathways and Certified Counselling, however as it stands the framework does not necessarily align with the approach outlined in the Community Mental Health Fund.
“As it reads it could only fund qualified counsellors. This means, in real terms, very few third sector organisations could be supported by this without significant changes to the framework.
“We are very aware the
“Many young people highlight these services are life-saving, particularly for young people who experience suicidal ideation”
council have very difficult financial decisions to make. And I don’t envy that. But is ending community mental health support for young people the right decision to make right now?
“The impact of this decision is city-wide. Ending services without alternatives will have significant impacts on young people and their families who will have nowhere to turn.”
The decision-making process for the existing mental health contracts lies with Edinburgh Children’s Partnership, which includes representatives from the council, NHS, police, Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council and various third sector organisations. However, councillors questioned why as elected members they didn’t have the final say.
Councillors intended to discuss the matter later in the meeting but opted to defer the report to June’s committee session due to time constraints.
A Labour administration addendum stated since 2021 the Scottish Government had reduced the council’s grant funding by £38,000 “and has given no guarantee the grant will continue to be provided”.
In an amendment the SNP group said there was a “lack of information” and clarity on why decisions were the responsibility of the Edinburgh Children’s Partnership instead of the education, children and families committee, and called for the contracts to be brought to the committee for a final decision. They said the funding “should continue while review is taking place to ensure continuity of services and employee contracts”.
The Liberal Democrats’ amendment similarly stated there should be “no gap in service provision within these contracts whilst the review is being completed”.
It said service users, families and the third sector should be “included within the contract review to ensure as wide a coproduction of services as possible”.