A Scots mum whose nine-year-old son needed to wait three years for specialist psychological well being assist stated she was “left to her personal units”.
Samantha Lee Wotherspoon, 32, from Bonhill, had been ready since earlier than the pandemic to fulfill with Baby and Grownup Psychological Well being Providers (CAMHS) for assist for her son, Robbie.
She first raised issues that he wanted intervention when he was in nursery. She believes he's exhibiting indicators of autism.
Samantha, who lives in Third Avenue, stated she was advised to attend till major one when he's settled, however she has solely simply bought a referral to the service now that he's in major 5.
The newest CAMHS statistics present that between January and March, 1 / 4 of younger individuals referred within the Larger Glasgow and Clyde well being board space had been pressured to attend between 36 and 52 weeks earlier than remedy commenced, with ready occasions at their highest degree for over a yr.
Samantha stated: “When Robbie first went on the ready record, I used to be advised it was a mile and a half lengthy. I might cellphone each week, and I used to be left hanging.
“There’s no cellphone name for an replace, if you happen to don’t cellphone them, then you definitely don’t hear something from CAMHS.
“They don’t have the time or amenities to supply us something, they had been chock-a-block. We solely have had one cellphone name since lockdown.
“We now have been making an attempt to gauge what works with him on our personal.
“What works sooner or later, received’t work the subsequent, so with out making an attempt to sound horrible, you're strolling on eggshells round him.”
Robbie has solely now simply been seen by the CAMHS workforce previously three weeks after roughly three years of ready, and Samatha believes that they're nonetheless not doing sufficient to assist her household.
She stated: ”Now that we now have acquired his first appointment, issues are transferring faster. Nonetheless, it has been the entire ready course of the place we now have had no recommendation from CAMHS and had been left to our personal units to cope with one thing we now have by no means handled earlier than.
“We'd like extra assist from CAMHS for households, they've seen Robbie as soon as when he was an angel, however they’re not seeing what he's like on daily basis, and so they should take my phrase for it. They aren’t constructing a relationship with Robbie.”
Robbie attends Balloch Major Faculty and Samantha claims that the shortage of specialist assist has affected Robbie’s studying.
She stated: ”The varsity are nice and understanding, but when he has a meltdown then I'm known as right down to take him out of college, so he's then lacking his training. Robbie goes into major 5 and he can’t learn.
“This can be a wee boy who’s not on the stage of his studying he must be.
“The varsity hasn’t had the backup that I get now, they want that to allow them to additionally assist.”
A spokesperson from CAMHS stated: “We're very sorry to listen to that Robbie’s household really feel that they didn't obtain well timed assist for Robbie from CAMHS in West Dunbartonshire, on account of waits for entry to the service.
“Whereas we can not touch upon particular person sufferers, we work laborious to evaluate kids and follow-up with interventions the place required.
“We might be blissful to debate Robbie’s remedy along with his household to see how we are able to present additional assist.”
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