Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Mental Health, Wellbeing and Welsh Language – in the Senedd at 2:34 pm on 2 December 2020.
Minister, I know that you will be aware of the huge pressure placed on CAMHS, the child and adolescent mental health services. It's been this way for several years, before the additional pressures placed on our young people by the pandemic. Much of this is due to young people being referred into the system when their mental health needs are mild or moderate, which is the most sensible and important time, of course, to seek referrals for support, but a problem for the CAMHS system because it's designed only to support those with serious mental health issues. So, could you please provide us with some more information about those early interventions that you referenced in your previous answer, to Delyth Jewell, and how those early interventions can ensure that our young people are supported in a timely and appropriate way to ensure that their mental health does not deteriorate further?