Protest rally over child mental health cuts

19 April 2011

A protest is being staged next Tuesday (26 April) against the nearly £500,000 of cuts to frontline child mental health services in Lewisham, South London – a borough where a reported 20 per cent of children live in poverty.

Unite, the largest union in the country, is calling trade unions and the local community to support the protest at Kaleidoscope, 32 Rushey Green London SE6 4JF on Tuesday, 26 April between 12-2pm.

Local people are being urged to sign a petition of protest which will be handed to Sir Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham.

Unite regional officer, Richard Munn said: 'A recent Save the Children study revealed that one in five of children in Lewisham live in poverty which itself brings adverse impacts on child mental health. Early intervention in childhood helps prevent longstanding problems in adulthood.'

Proposed cuts by South London and Maudsley NHS Trust and Lewisham Borough Council will total almost £500,000 this year for Lewisham Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), which is based at Kaleidoscope, Lewisham Park and Mercia Grove. The axe follows budget reductions from Lewisham Borough Council and NHS Lewisham (formerly Lewisham Primary Care Trust). More cuts are planned in the next two years.

Services affected include the schools' service, CAMHS social workers, forensic services, refugee and asylum seekers, and looked after children. A number of longstanding and very experienced staff will be forced to leave the service.

This is a reduction of almost 25 per cent of the entire service and will lead to fewer frontline workers and longer waiting lists for children and young people. This is an essential service which has been commended in various government inspections.

Richard Munn said: 'This attack on services comes after the coalition promised to protect frontline NHS services and when, only last month, the No Health Without Mental Health government strategy highlighted the need for local and accessible child mental health services.'

'Hypocrisy and inequality seem to be the name of the game when it comes to maintaining these vital services in Lewisham.'

Notes:

The cuts include:

specific funding from the schools' team being withdrawn
local authority funding has reduced by £160,000
the funding for the adolescents' team has been cut
the primary care trust has reduced funding by £80,000.
the rent for Kaleidoscope – the centre in Lewisham which houses all aspects of children's services - has been increased

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