In our research into support needs for young carers, ‘Still Hidden, Still Ignored: Who cares for young carers?’⁶, over 50 per cent of the 79 young carers who responded to our survey felt that being a young carer had impacted on their emotional and mental health, with 56 per cent saying that being a young carer made them feel anxious or worried, and just under 40 per cent saying it made them feel like they couldn’t cope.

This evidence was also supported by a survey of 40 Barnardo’s practitioners, where 76 per cent felt that most or all of the young carers they worked with suffered from anxiety, anger and isolation. All practitioners had worked with young carers who self-harmed, 97 per cent worked with young carers who had panic attacks, and 94 per cent had worked with young carers who had eating disorders.

Our AXIS service in Lanarkshire works with young people aged 11 to 21 (26 if the young person has left care) who have been impacted by parental, or their own, substance misuse, and who have complex issues. We also work with the families of the young people we support. One-to-one support is provided twice per week, alongside group work programmes and family support.

Of the 58 young people that received support from AXIS in 2017-18, 41 (71 per cent) had experienced four or more ACEs, and 22 (38 per cent) had experienced seven or more.⁸

Our Here and Now service at HMYOI Polmont provides specialist assessment and direct intervention to young people affected by trauma, bereavement and loss. Depending on need, young people are supported either through a psycho-educational intervention, for up to 12 weeks, offering structured personal learning regarding trauma, bereavement and loss experiences, or a psychotherapeutic intervention for up to 30 weeks with individuals assessed at five week intervals regarding progress.

In our Here and Now service, 82 per cent of 70 females supported by the service in 2017-18 had experienced four or more ACEs; 36 per cent had experienced eight or more. Most common were parental separation, substance misuse, mental ill health, and emotional neglect. Of the 80 males in custody we supported, 62 per cent had experienced four or more ACEs; 23 per cent had experienced eight or more. Most common were parental separation, mental ill health, parental imprisonment and domestic violence.⁹

In a review of almost 3,000 case files, Barnardo’s highlighted that 50 per cent of young people being supported by our services in Scotland were presenting with a mental health issue; however three quarters were not receiving support from CAMHS.

Our Audit of rejected referrals to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Scotland¹³ report included insight from interviews with 40 Barnardo’s practitioners in Scotland, and highlights five key reasons for referrals to CAMHS being rejected:

• Lack of stability – Children and young people who do not present as stable or who are not in a stable placement are likely to be rejected by CAMHS for treatment
• Lack of engagement – Children and young people who do not engage with CAMHS or fail to attend appointments can be rejected for treatment
• Presenting symptoms not seen as severe enough – Referrals are often rejected because young people are not presenting with severe enough clinical problems; behavioural and emotional problems tend to be outside the remit of CAMHS
• Lack of clarity around who can refer and why – A lack of clarity around the criteria and thresholds for those referring into CAMHS results in inappropriate referrals and rejections for young people
• Service already being provided by another organisation – Young people can be rejected for treatment with CAMHS because they are already receiving support from another organisation (e.g. Barnardo’s).