Nearly half of community children's services are excluded due to government commissioning.

Many children and families cannot access official government mental health services, so they rely on grassroots community groups instead. Researchers do not know much about how these groups operate or what challenges they face. To find out, a team worked directly with young people and community members. They mapped independent community services across London and Greater Manchester that provide free wellbeing help to young people aged 0–18 and their families. They gathered details on what these groups do and what holds them back. They found that most groups use equity-oriented practices, which means tailoring care to treat people fairly and safely, especially through culturally specific support. However, very few take an intersectional approach that considers overlapping identities. Most help went to older children rather than early prevention. Finally, fragile funding and a rush to respond to urgent needs force these groups into tough trade-offs that threaten their stability.

Why it matters

Children and families who cannot access government care depend on community mental health services. But this mapping shows that nearly half of such services are excluded from government commissioning, and even those that exist face funding instability that undermines care. Policy that relies on community partnerships must be backed by sustainable funding and support for truly inclusive practices.

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