LAC professional support
YoungMinds are working in partnership with the Department of Health to support a network of professionals working with looked after children and young people in the UK.
LAC professional network
Children and young people who are looked after live away from their family of origin, and have usually experienced loss and disruption in their lives.
Many of these young people show remarkable resilience given the experiences they have had, others go through periods when they may struggle with the challenges of home life, school, relationships with peers and developing their independence and sense of who they are.
There is, however, a high prevalence of mental health difficulties amongst this group of children and young people and concerns about their access to support. People working with looked after children and young people need to consider mental health and emotional well-being and be able to provide support to those who experience emotional distress or develop mental health problems.
This network has run seven conferences across England, to identify and share good practice, and to encourage debate abut looked after children's emotional well-being and mental health. The free publication, Looking after the mental health of looked after children provides examples of effective practice to promote children's mental health services and was developed in collaboration with young people themselves. It was launched at a national conference in Leicester and has been distributed nationally. A further event and publication is planned for 2008.
If you’d like to find out more about the outcomes of the conference, contact our training service. Go to the publications section to download your free copy of the Looking after the mental health of Looked after children.
