The health and wellbeing of children and young people lie at the heart of work. As the leading children’s healthcare charity in Scotland, we have developed Position Statements that are based on the experiences of the children and young people with health conditions whom we support and those who love and care for them.
We can all struggle with our mental health from time to time and this is certainly true for children and young people. Feeling anxious, upset, angry or sad is completely normal, but sometimes this can go on for longer than would be expected or it begins to have an impact on the child or young person being able to get on with life, thrive and develop. The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people can be compromised at any time as they grow up but there are times when they can be especially vulnerable. Support must therefore be available as early as possible at the right level to avoid problems escalating. As the leading children’s health charity in Scotland, we deliver services directly to children and young people with health conditions that are focused on supporting their mental health and wellbeing, and we are committed to ensuring that the best possible healthcare is provided for all children and young people to improve their life experiences. Our work is more specifically focused on children and young people wo are experiencing physical or mental health challenges, or who are affected by long-term health conditions.
We want to ensure that children and young people with health conditions, and/or during times of illness, along with their families, including carers, are empowered in knowing their needs and rights to access appropriate services. We want all children and young people across Scotland, but specifically children with ACEs, health conditions, and additional support needs and their families, to be able to access appropriate mental health support and intervention as early as possible, and at critical times of transition.
CLICK HERE to view our POSITION STATEMENT on MENTAL HEALTH AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING.
Children’s Health Scotland promotes the healthcare rights of all children and young people and identifies and supports the meeting of their needs, in particular when they experience ill health (physical and/or mental) or are affected by long-term conditions. In promoting links and collaboration between the various primary and specialist health services and the wide spectrum of educational provisions and personnel, Children’s Health Scotland makes a valuable contribution to children and young people’s holistic care and development.
We want to ensure that children and young people with health conditions, and/or during times of illness, along with their families, including carers, are empowered in knowing their needs and rights to access appropriate services. We want a range of training and resources to be made available to ensure that there is equity of access to education for all children and young people who are absent from school due to their health. Through this they are able to benefit from their education, whilst their health and wellbeing is supported in an individually appropriate and timeous way.
Transition in healthcare describes the process by which the individual moves from one form of clinical management to another over a period of time. This can vary from weeks e.g. for discharge from hospital to community care to months and to years e.g. for young people dealing with the late effects of cancer therapy. As a central focus Children’s Health Scotland wants every young person in Scotland to be supported in an appropriate and timeous way as they transition from paediatric child-centred services to adult-orientated healthcare systems. Our work is underpinned by the European Association for Children in Hospital (EACH Charter), which states the rights of children and young people in health care services, and their corresponding rights in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
We want to ensure that children and young people with health conditions, and/or during times of illness, along with their families, including carers, are empowered in knowing their needs and rights to access appropriate services. We want transition from paediatric child-centred to adult-orientated healthcare systems to be purposefully and carefully planned, with the young person’s views, worries, concerns, and needs placed at the heart of any decision making. Through this, young people will be supported to understand the difference in adult support services, understand from whom, and where to access support, and how to adapt to them in an appropriate and timeous way.
