When Care Is Not Enough

This report presents the results of a consultancy, which examined the needs of a small number of young people with extreme levels of disturbance living away from home in substitute care.

The aims of the consultancy were to:

• identify the characteristics of any young people whose needs are not met by existing services and for whom a residential therapeutic service or other intensive therapeutic or support services may be required;
• conduct an analysis of the needs of these young people;
• document the services currently utilised by them and the costs of current service provision across Protection and Care, Mental Health, Juvenile Justice and Drug Treatment Services;
• identify service gaps;
• review service options and make recommendations.

The title of this report reflects the consultants' findings that there are a number of children and adolescents in care, who have suffered traumatic early environments, for whom care is not enough to effectively address the aftermath. It is argued that these young people need consistent and high quality care, which offers continuity of positive relationships. However, they also need systematic therapeutic interventions, to assist them to rebuild their lives and address post-traumatic states and developmental disturbance associated with the severe abuse and neglect they have suffered.

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