1 Million Children Referred to Mental Health Services - Commissioner’s Report

On 29 June 2026, the Children’s Commissioner for England published her fifth annual report on children’s and young people’s mental health services. The findings are stark. In 2024–25, 1,048,965 children had an active referral to Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in England. This is the first time the figure has exceeded one million, representing almost double the number recorded in 2018–19 and a rise of nearly 10% in a single year.

the report’s deeper concern is that demand is rising faster than the system’s ability to respond. By the end of March 2025, 35% of children referred to CAMHS were still waiting for treatment. More than 60,000 children had been waiting for over two years, an increase from more than 44,000 the previous year with the typical waiting time for support being 128 days.

A child waiting months or years for support may also be struggling to attend school, maintain friendships, manage family relationships or cope with everyday routines. Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner, described the figures as demonstrating the “sheer scale of distress” faced by young people and warned that many children’s lives are being put on hold while they wait for help.

Neurodevelopmental Need and Rising Referrals

The report identifies particularly sharp increases in referrals relating to suspected autism, neurodevelopmental conditions and anxiety. Anxiety remains the most common reason for referral, accounting for 16% of all referrals. Referrals for suspected autism rose by 47% in one year, followed by a 24% increase in referrals for other neurodevelopmental conditions and a 12% increase in anxiety referrals.

Children referred for suspected autism or neurodevelopmental conditions were among those most likely to remain waiting. The Children’s Commissioner reported that fewer than one in five children with suspected autism or neurodevelopmental conditions went on to receive treatment in 2024–25. For practitioners in the northwest, this figure will come as no surprise. Local families report substantial delays in accessing autism assessments and related support. Alder Hey hospital report that their current waiting time for a diagnosis is up to 104 weeks.

The Commissioner’s report also highlights a structural problem: when support is tied too closely to diagnosis, children can become stuck in the system. A diagnosis is necessary for a lot of children, particularly where it unlocks the right educational or social care support. However, if diagnosis becomes the only gateway to help, children whose needs are complex or not easily categorised can be left without meaningful support when early intervention is most needed for success in the child’s mental health and wellbeing.

Funding and Demand   

The report raises concerns between the relationship of demand and investment. Real-terms spending on CAMHS increased by 2% to £1.1 billion in 2024–25. That increase sits against an almost 10% rise in referrals over the same period. Even where additional investment is provided, the report raises concerns that demand will still outpace the scale of need. This results in a system whereby too many children remain awaiting assessment and/or treatment leaving parents, social workers, schools, and charities attempting to fill the gap and manage a child’s needs that may require specialist medical input.

Is this an NHS Issue?    

One of the strongest themes in the Commissioner’s report is that children’s mental health cannot be treated as an isolated health issue. The Commissioner expressly calls for joined-up working across health, education and social care, with support available earlier in schools and communities.

That is particularly important for children involved with children’s services, children in care, care leavers, children with SEND, and those living with domestic abuse, poverty, bereavement, exclusion, bullying or family breakdown. For those children, mental health need often sits alongside broader safeguarding, educational and social needs practitioners will be familiar with.

Social Media                       

The Children’s Commissioner’s report lands in the context of wider debate about children’s online lives. The Commissioner notes that the Government has recently announced a ban on children’s use of social media, citing the impact on children’s mental health. On 15 June 2026, the Government announced plans to ban under-16s from using certain social media platforms, with implementation expected in Spring 2027. The Government’s fact sheet states that the model is expected to apply to platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook and X.

However, a social media ban should not be treated as an all-encompassing answer to the children’s mental health crisis. The causes of rising distress are not straightforward. Mental health difficulties are well-documented to be shaped by poverty, family stress, school pressure, traumatic events, neurodevelopmental need, genetics, discrimination, housing instability, and gaps in early support. Online harms may be one part of the picture, but they are not the whole picture.

What Support is Available for Children and Young People?          

There are a variety of services available through the NHS and charities that practitioners will be familiar with; CAMHS, NHS 111, GP services, urgent care, and 999. Charities for children’s mental health include Mind, YoungMinds, YPAS, and Anna Freud.

Practitioners should be aware of websites and search functions available to find resources for children and young people to assist with signposting concerned parents and young people they represent. A helpful resource is Youth Access – Find Help that provides resources based on location and type of assistance needed for young people. Another resource is Hub of Hope, providing a similar service for young people, adults, and emergency assistance.

For many families however, the issue is not knowing that these services exist. It is a matter of access. A child may have been referred, and therefore be “in the system”, but they can be waiting months or years for help.

Reforming Access to Mental Health Services   

The Children’s Commissioner describes the current moment as both a crisis and an opportunity. The forthcoming 10 Year Mental Health Strategy, reforms to the SEND system and the expansion of school-based mental health support all provide an opportunity to rethink how children’s needs are identified and met.

The central lesson of the report is that the mental health system cannot continue to rely on crisis-point referral as the route to support. Children need help earlier, shorter waiting times, and services that work across education, health, and social care. That requires listening to children and young people directly, particularly those who have experienced long waits, fragmented services or unmet SEND needs.

The Children’s Commissioner’s Report can be found here.