Management of a new mental health advocacy service has reassured parents affected by the South Kerry CAMHS scandal that the service will be run independently of the HSE.
The new advocacy service for patients of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services was launched in Kerry yesterday.
The service, which is being provided by the Youth Advocate Programme, involves the appointment of an independent mental health advocate.
The CAMHS service has been clouded by controversy since January when the Maskey report revealed that over 270 children had been mistreated by a junior doctor.
Siobhán O’Dwyer, CEO of Youth Advocate Programmes Ireland, says she’s conscious of the issues surrounding the scandal but is confident the independent nature of the group will accurately represent service users.
Meanwhile, a mother whose child was one of those who was a patient with South Kerry CAMHS from 2016 to 2020, while the junior doctor was employed there, welcomes the advocacy service.
However, Mary, which is not her real name, says parents are hesitant to accept the state CAMHS compensation scheme because of the lack of detail provided by the HSE and the uncertainty around the level of support going forward.
