Fluctuating mental health needs

This section covers young people who may have fluctuating mental health needs.

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All the guidance in the other sections of this guide are also relevant to this group of young people.

Statutory Responsibilities

  • Care Act 2014: Councils are mandated to assess any adult who appears to require care and support, regardless of their financial status or the severity of their needs. This includes evaluating mental health requirements and ensuring that appropriate services are accessible.
  • Provision of Information and Advice: Local authorities can offer comprehensive information and advice about available care and support services, encompassing mental health resources. This ensures individuals can make informed decisions about their care.
  • Mental Health Act 1983 (Amended by the Mental Health Act 2007): Section 117 Aftercare: Under Section 117, councils, in collaboration with the NHS, are responsible for providing aftercare services to individuals who have been detained under specific sections of the Mental Health Act. This includes support for mental health needs to prevent deterioration and reduce the likelihood of readmission.
  • Autism Act 2009: Development of an Autism Strategy: This Act requires the government to create and periodically update a strategy for addressing the needs of adults with autism in England. The strategy emphasise’s the importance of facilitating access to health services, including mental health support, tailored to individual needs.
  • Children and Families Act 2014: Councils should ensure that young people with special educational needs or disabilities experience a seamless transition, with continued access to necessary mental health services.

Many young people face mental health challenges, but services are often not adapted to their needs. There can be long waiting times for autism-specific mental health support. Also, young people may not meet the eligibility criteria for adult mental health services after leaving CAMHS.

Where to direct young people for support

  • General Practitioners: can make referrals to appropriate mental health services. GPs can evaluate initial concerns and coordinate with mental health specialists.
  • Learning Disability Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs): These teams often include psychologists, psychiatrists, and nurses who are trained to work with individuals with learning disabilities and autism.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Services: Many areas have services specifically catering to ASD-related mental health issues.
  • Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Services: Some IAPT services offer adapted methodologies to better cater to individuals with learning disabilities and autism, including longer assessment times and the use of adapted communication strategies.
  • Specialist Hospitals and Clinics: There are dedicated healthcare settings providing inpatient and outpatient mental health support tailored for individuals with learning disabilities and autism, such as those that provide sensory-friendly environments and communication aids.
  • Advocacy services: can assist individuals in understanding their rights and accessing mental health support. Advocates often have experience navigating complex healthcare systems and ensuring support is provided in a way individuals understand.
  • Crisis Support: In times of mental health crisis, options like NHS 111, crisis helplines, or emergency mental health services can be accessed. Some areas have specialized crisis intervention teams trained to support people with learning disabilities and autism.

Highlighted pages

Statutory guidance

This section below covers statutory guidance that apply to all young people.

Good practice

This section below covers good practice that can apply to all young people.

Barriers to change and how to address these barriers

This section below covers barriers to change and how to address these barriers that all young people.

Where to direct people for other support?

I have somewhere to live that I can call home For detailed information and guidance on housing issues the Housing LIN is a place for council leads to

Low support needs

If directly funded services are not available, councils are encouraged to foster community networks and involve voluntary organisations which provide

Assessed as not currently eligible for adult social care

This section covers young people who may not be eligible for adult social care but with remaining vulnerabilities.

Eligible for adult packages of support at a moderate to high level

This section covers young people who may be eligible for adult packages of support at a moderate to high level and who may be at risk of ending up with a package which unintentionally restricts them.