England's top director of children's services has called for a greater focus on prevention amid spiralling demand for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

New figures showed the number of under-18s referred to CAMHS has risen by 53% since 2019 while the Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS) has highlighted that the proportion of children's social care assessments where children's mental health is a factor has increased from 9% in 2017-18 to 14% in 2021-22.

ADCS president John Pearce said: ‘Waiting lists are far too long, children are reaching crisis point.

'They are coming into the social care system, which often isn't able to meet their needs.

'The costs of some of the individual placements we end up picking up when children inappropriately come into the social care system, we could be looking at placements of £8,000 a week, £500,000 a year.'

A recent report commissioned by the Local Government Association said the Government's plans to reform the children's social care system were ‘light on detail on addressing mental health needs'.

Chief executive officer of youth mental health charity stem4, Nihara Krause, said: ‘Mental health need is growing, services are unable to keep up with demand and waiting lists are getting longer. 

'It is therefore unsurprising that increasing numbers of emotionally troubled children are being taken into care after waiting for long periods for NHS diagnosis and treatment because their condition deteriorated to the point where parents and carers can no longer cope with their behaviour, and the risk this presents. 

‘Unless we increase capacity in mental health services to provide appropriate provision to help these vulnerable young people at their time of need, local authorities will continue to be expected to pay untenable placement fees and financial pressures will continue to rise - no doubt at the cost of other children's services.'

Corporate director of development and innovation at children's charity Barnardo's, Michelle Lee-Izu, added: 'Without urgent and significant investment, we simply will not be able to achieve the changes children need.

'That's why Barnardo's is calling on the Government to increase funding across universal and preventative services for children and young people, including the expansion of mental health support teams to all schools and colleges.'