Supporting the mental health of looked after and adopted children

Mental health difficulties can affect children and adults from all walks of life – but unfortunately, looked after and adopted children are more likely to be affected, often due to their difficult early experiences. Social work professionals do a valuable yet challenging job of supporting these children, but the area of mental health can feel like a complex labyrinth. With demands on health and social care increasing, and a new emphasis being placed on the importance of children’s mental wellbeing, how can workers encourage good mental health? What support is available from CAMHS? And what conditions are most common in looked after and adopted children?

This guide translates the theoretical concepts and research about children’s mental health into straightforward language and practical advice. Taking a holistic and attachment-focused approach, it demonstrates how to understand children’s background and current events, rather than focusing on diagnostic criteria and labels.

The guide provides vital practical advice on how social workers and others working with looked after children can actively help to safeguard and improve children’s mental health.

This guide is an essential read for those working with or looking after fostered and adopted children, helping the carer to recognise and understand a range of mental health issues and give the best support possible.

CAPPE matrix: This book makes use of a CAPPE matrix to help with assessing and analysing children’s mental health difficulties. As well as appearing in the book itself, the matrix can be found here.

Find out more

Read an interview with the authors, Dr Karen Aldred and Dr Helen Rodwell.

Read the contents page and introduction

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