Significant reduction in waiting times for children’s mental health assessments

Children and young people in Devon are now being seen much quicker for mental health assessments thanks to a redesign of services.

Children and Family Health Devon’s (CFHD) Mood, Emotions and Relationships (MERs) Pathway says the major improvement in waiting times for children and young people has come after an intensive programme of service redesign and increased staffing levels.

In 2024, 500 children were waiting longer than 18 weeks for their first assessment, including 80 who had been waiting more than a year. As of January 2026, only 28 children had been waiting longer than 18 weeks for an assessment, with the current average waiting time for an assessment now at eight weeks. This is making a real difference to young people who need support.

Over the past year, teams within CFHD have worked together to improve how they carry out assessments. They have strengthened senior clinical leadership, brought different professionals together to work more closely, recruited new staff, increased working hours and introduced dedicated assessment weeks. CFHD has also made changes to simplify processes and work more efficiently.

Claire Bird, Head of Mental Health Pathways for CFHD, said:

“We know how difficult it is for children and families to wait when they are asking for help, particularly at a time when they are already feeling vulnerable. Reducing our initial assessment waiting times has been a key priority, and I am incredibly proud of the dedication, flexibility and commitment shown by our teams. This improvement represents real progress for young people across our communities.

While we are pleased with the strides we have made, we are not complacent. We know there is still more to do, particularly in reducing waits for specialist interventions, and we remain committed to delivering timely, compassionate and high-quality care.”

The service is keen to ensure that the voices of young people and families are central to future progress. Feedback is being sought from those who use the service to better understand what reduced waiting times mean to them and how improvements have been experienced. These perspectives will inform the ongoing development and reinforce why this work is so important.

The service remains committed to continuous improvement, ensuring that children and young people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right way.