Away from hospital and into the community: A research report into alternative options for young people’s mental health crisis care

This Look Ahead report finds increasing demand for children and young people’s crisis mental health services amidst challenges with existing services. 

Based on in-depth interviews with service users, parents and carers, and NHS and social care staff from across England, the findings draw on experience of treating depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, eating disorders, addiction and psychosis.  

Launched at House of Lords, the report – funded by Wates Family Enterprise Trust and produced by experts Care Research – argues Accident and Emergency departments have become an ‘accidental hub’ for children and young people experiencing crisis but are ill-equipped to offer the treatment required.  

Away from hospital and into the community makes a series of recommendations to policymakers and identifies alternative commissioning routes for a new residential, community-based crisis service which sits outside hospital and could cost 52% less than existing services. Such services would be an alternative for those in mental health crisis, or for those who did not meet the current – very high – threshold for admission.  

According to the report, an expansion of these housing and care facilities for young people in mental health crisis would make the best use of the government’s commitment to increase overall NHS mental healthcare funding by £2.3bn a year.