Written question asked by Charles Walker (Conservative) on Tuesday, 30 March 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 6 April 2010. It was answered by Phil Hope (Labour) on Wednesday, 7 April 2010 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Mental Health Services: Young People

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department takes to ensure that children with a dual diagnosis of a mental health problem and (a) a learning disability and (b) an autistic spectrum disorder are recorded (i) in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services commissioning process, (ii) in children and young people's plans and (iii) in children's health needs assessments.

Answer: Each local Children and Young People's Plan must include an outline of key actions which specifically address the needs of children with disabilities. The Government published new Statutory Guidance on Children's Trusts on 22 March 2010 and make clear that in the case of children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) the plan could set out what arrangements are in place to commission services to meet the full range of their needs not just those relating to ASD.'The Mental Health and Psychological Well-being of Children and Young People', Standard 9 of the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services, stated that the commissioning and delivery of a comprehensive Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) should include regular assessments of local need of children and young people in the locality who are vulnerable or at risk. A copy of the document has already been placed in the Library.A CAMHS dataset, to further strengthen needs assessment and inform the strategic planning process, is currently in development. The dataset will provide information for local use in commissioning and delivering CAMHS.

Secondary information