Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2010
This report deals with services for a population that is still relatively neglected: those falling between child and adolescent psychiatry and learning disability psychiatry.
It reviews the resources required for a psychiatric service to young people, under 18 years, and their families. Starting with an overview of the changing approaches to the psychiatric needs of this population, the nature of its disorders and the variety of interventions, it sets out the characteristics of a model service dealing with its structure, location, personnel and resources.
The report provides a draft standard specification that can inform negotiations between service commissioners, clinicians and general managers of mental health services. While it focuses on the psychiatric element, it recognises that such a service must be multidisciplinary and multiagency and therefore must be seen within the wider range of services supporting mental health. These include education, social services, community child health and other agencies, such as the employment support group Connexions.
The report is aimed at anyone involved in planning or helping to develop a psychiatric service for children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities.
