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In February 2020, Scottish Government published the National Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Service Specification which outlines provisions young people and their families can expect from the NHS.

Following recommendations made in Mental Welfare Commission reports, Scottish Government commissioned a national review of existing provision for young people under 18 years who had needs and risks that required intensive psychiatric care. This review published its findings in June 2021 and recommended purpose-built regional units adjacent to existing inpatient services.

As a follow-up, Scottish Government is supporting the development of three regional Intensive Psychiatric Care Units (IPCUs) to be hosted within NHS Lothian, Tayside and Greater Glasgow and Clyde. The provision of intensive psychiatric care beds will expand the inpatient estate and also ease pressures on existing adolescent inpatient services, as these will ensure young people are accessing the appropriate care and treatment when required.

Scottish Government has also commissioned Foxgrove, the new CAMHS National Secure Adolescent Inpatient Service for Scotland (NSAIS) which is currently under construction. The Unit will be on the Ayrshire Central Hospital campus in Irvine, North Ayrshire and will provide secure mental health care for young people from across Scotland.

Similarly, Scottish Government is in the process of commissioning a CAMHS national inpatient service for children and young people with learning disabilities.

This work sits alongside our investment in prevention and early intervention support for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. For example, local authorities report that over 38,000 children, young people and parents/carers benefitted from our £15 million per annum investment in community supports and services in the first six months of 2022 alone; and young people now have access to a school counsellor in every secondary school in Scotland.