More than one primary school child a week referred to mental health services in Blackpool

The Victoria Hospital’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) team was called in to help 72 children aged 11 or under last year, up from 53 the year before.

The figures were released under freedom of information laws, though the age of the youngest child was redacted to avoid identifying them.

Twenty-three children aged 12 to 16 were also referred, though the service said treatment was given in just 44 of the 95 total referrals last year.

Last month, The Gazette revealed how a new team of medics was working in schools to help identify children with mental health issues earlier.

Around one in 10 under-19s in Blackpool will suffer from a mental illness in the future, it was estimated, and early intervention can ‘drastically improve their future prospects’, health chiefs in the resort said.

David Eaton, who heads up the service, said: “To ensure the best service possible for children and young people in Blackpool we encourage all potential referrers to contact our service to discuss a child or young person’s needs before referral.

“Our work around early intervention means not all children and young people referred need the specialist mental health service and we work with schools and parents to help children struggling with issues to improve their coping strategies so they can better manage their difficulties.

“We know through research that taking steps to prevent and spot early signs of emotional, behavioural and mental health problems in children and young people can lead to better outcomes for them in later life. We also know that it costs less to prevent problems early than to treat them once they have become more established.”

The CAMHS is made up of psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, therapists, primary mental health workers, and wellbeing practitioners.

In 2016, former Hodgson Academy headteacher Toni Roethling said: “We are getting primary school children coming to us with severe problems.”

Toni, who left the Poulton school to look after her daughter, who suffers from mental health issues, added: “It won’t help my daughter now, but what does need to happen is earlier intervention.

“Most schools are overwhelmed.”