The Mental Health of Care-Experienced Children and Young People

Care-experienced children and young people are nearly five times more likely than their peers to experience mental health difficulties, with close to half meeting criteria for a diagnosable disorder. Social workers play a central role in improving the mental health of care-experienced children and young people, yet they often face gaps in guidance on how best to respond to the challenges faced. Drawing together the latest research, practice expertise and the views of young people with lived experience of growing up in care, this book explores: mental health problems that care-experienced children and young people are likely to have; how racism affects the experiences and mental health of black and minority ethnic children and young people; the contribution that social workers can make to the lives of care-experienced children and young people of all ages; and how to work effectively with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) professionals. Offering clear guidance to support better practice, this book is essential reading for social work practitioners, supervisors, managers, students, foster carers and anyone working in an allied profession to improve support and outcomes for care-experienced children and young people.