New therapy service for
young people
A new service which will provide
therapy to children and young people who have suffered trauma and neglect is set
to be commissioned in Liverpool.
At its meeting, on Friday, 20 January 2017, Liverpool City Council's Cabinet is being
asked to earmark ?650,000 for the Therapeutic Service, over the next 3 years.
It will provide psychological therapy and counselling for those whose lives are
significantly affected by emotional and behavioural difficulties caused by
issues such as violence and abuse.
It is anticipated that the new early intervention service will help reduce the
number of young people coming into care, by providing the right help and support
to families to resolve mental health issues.
It is also hoped it will:-
► Reduce the number of children missing from School or at risk of exclusion.
► Improve School attendance and attainment.
► Increase identification of those at risk sexual or criminal exploitation.
► Cut cases of alcohol and drug abuse.
► Improved personal and social skills.
► Support young people and parents affected into education, employment and
training.
Councillor Barry Kushner, Cabinet member for Children's Services, said:-
"Improving the emotional wellbeing of children and young people is a massive
priority for the Council. This new service will give us the ability to be able
to intervene early, give families the support to help keep them together and
prevent young people ending up in care. Tackling the root cause of their
issues can transform the life of a young person and their family, giving them
the best possible chance of getting over the trauma that they have suffered."
The project will sit between the existing family support outreach team; set up
in 2015; which has worked with 150 children with emotional and behavioural
difficulties since last April, and the long established Children and Adolescent
Mental Health Service (CAMHS).
It will work closely with CAMHS and the community hubs run by the Young Peoples
Advisory Service (YPAS).
If the report is approved, a search will get underway for providers with the
service expected to be launched sometime in the summer.
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