Children's Minister Delyth Morgan and Care Services Minister Phil Hope today reinforced the clear expectation for all local areas to deliver good quality mental health services for all children, including 24 hour cover for urgent mental health problems and child-only facilities for under-16s. The Government is calling on all local areas to support children's emotional wellbeing and mental health, as it publishes its full response to the 20 recommendations in last-year's independent review of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Keeping Children and Young People In Mind sets out the Government's commitment to support local areas to deliver effective and high quality mental health services for children and young people, drawing upon existing evidence and good practice. Stopping emotional and mental health problems in childhood escalating to problems later in life will help young people achieve their full potential, and also help cut the cost to society of poor health, poverty, crime and low educational attainment. The Government is backing this up with a major package to support local delivery including:

• £58 million allocated to support the co-location of health services incorporating mental health provision alongside schools and other places where children and young people already go;
• the roll-out of the £60 million DCSF Targeted Mental Health in Schools programme to every local authority from April 2010;
•  a new programme of action to support the workforce, including the announcement by DCSF of new training support in relation to the mental health needs of children with learning disabilities and children at risk of self harming; and
• enhanced expert support for the local areas that need it most via a new National Support Team, fulfilling the commitment the Government made in its initial response to the CAMHS Review.

Children and Families Minister Delyth Morgan said:"Good mental health and wellbeing are crucial to ensuring that all children and young people can learn, achieve and fulfil their potential. Growing up is about developing resilience to deal with life's problems - but that doesn't mean children don't need support.

"Today we are calling on professionals to make sure they spot emerging issues from an early age and prevent emotional or mental health problems spiralling out of control. It's important that all services and professionals working with children and young people, especially schools and early years settings, are aware of the signs and can act quickly to help children, and their families, to deal with their problems and get the support they need.

"There is clear evidence that emotional and conduct disorders in younger life can lead to criminal behaviour in adult life. Early intervention reduces length and severity of severe mental illness - including schizophrenia and psychosis. And treating depression in young people reduces the burden of mental health later in life."

See the full story on the DCSF website.