Decision Report 201802124

Summary

Mr and Mrs C complained on behalf of their child (Child A) about the care and treatment they received from the board's children and adolescent mental health services over several years. The concerns related to the stopping of treatment; the lack of support to aid Child A's understanding of a complex system and consenting to it; and lack of transparency regarding a number of matters. The board did not identify any failings in the care and treatment provided and explained this to the family.

We took independent advice from a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist. We considered that there had been a reasonable amount of input at an appropriate level of seniority in place to make decisions in a complex case. We found that it was a reasonable course of action to stop a type of therapy and not carry out a risk assessment as there was evidence of engagement and future planning and no evidence of a high risk situation at this time. In addition, whilst the therapy was stopped, Child A continued to receive care from psychiatric and psychology services. In terms of consent, there was evidence in the clinical records to support that attempts were made by staff to tailor their approach towards Child A and we did not identify unreasonable practice. However, we did provide feedback to the board regarding ensuring that patients receive relevant information about their clinical condition. We also considered that further opinions were appropriately sought when the family questioned the clinical diagnosis in line with national guidelines. We did not identify any concerns regarding transparency in the clinical records or with the family. We did not uphold the complaint.