BLACK CHILDREN MENTAL HEALTH

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Conference
2024 National Black Members' Conference
Date
14 September 2023
Decision
Carried as Amended

It was reported in 2022 via a leaked National Health Service (NHS) report that Black youth and Black individuals in general were being failed by the system. They now make up 11 per cent of the population however 36 per cent of individuals detained in the highest level units are Black, with limited access to support services. This has raised from 24 per cent the year before

Action for children reported that one in six children between the ages of 5 to 16 can have a mental health issue. Which is double the figures in the previous three years. With young individuals age 17 to 19 in England with mental health disorder jumping from 1 in 4 to 1 in 3 between 2021 and 2022. They also reported that 42 per cent of children reported lasting mental health problems post COVID 19 with parents of under-five reporting that their children long term mental wellbeing was affected

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) reported that of the 5 per cent of Black children only one per cent has access to the community mental health serves such as the eating disorder services.

This affects our members in many ways, conference we need to organise with our members either facing these issues either personally or as part of their jobs.

Conference therefore calls upon the National Black Members’ Committee to:

? To encourage and continue to promote awareness of mental health issues of Black community in the workplace

? To encourage branches to support services providers to create services for Black members experiences this issue

• Promote tolerance of Black mental health issues in the workplace amongst employees and the wider community