Recommendation 27

We therefore recommend that the Department accelerates the shift towards increased community-based provision and a reduced inpatient bed base as a national priority to ensure that children and young people with the most complex needs receive good quality care in a setting that is right for them. A national strategy should be set out to establish jointly commissioned health and social care services. To ensure children and young people are not ‘parked’ in inappropriate in-patient care, an independent psychiatrist should sign off the need for inpatient provision on a monthly basis for all young people who have stayed for longer than three months in a mental health hospital. This should be backed up by legislative changes. It should equally apply to those with a learning disability, autism, or both.