The Association of Child Psychotherapists regularly contributes to government and other public consultations on a range of subjects to do with the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children, young people, parents, families, including contributing to the development of NICE clinical guidelines.
This page contains an archive of all ACP policy submissions from 2007.
See Latest policy for the most recent responses and policy news.
Submissions 2012
NICE: Conduct disorders in children and young people. The ACP responded to this consultation on the draft guidelines for Conduct disorders and antisocial behaviour in children and young people: recognition, intervention and management. You can read our submission which was prepared by Sarah Sutton (September 2012). You can also read the ACP's submission to the draft scope (February 2011).
Submissions 2011
NICE: Intrapartum Care: The ACP responded to this consultation on the draft scope for the Intrapartum Care guideline and quality standard. Read our Intrapartum Care submission (8 November 2011)
NICE: longer-term management of self-harm The ACP responded to this consultation on draft guidance for the longer-term management of self-harm. Read our Self-harm submission (7 June 2011) Download the NICE consultation table, with comments on our submission here
Department of Health: Liberating the NHS: Developing the healthcare workforce The ACP responded to this consultation on the future of the NHS workforce. Read our submission Liberating the NHS (31 March 2011)
NICE: autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children and young people The ACP responded to this consultation on the draft guidance on autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children and young people: recognition, referral and diagnosis. Download the final guidance here and consultation table here (September 2011)
NICE: Conduct disorder in children and young people The ACP responded to this consultation on the draft scope of new NICE guidance on the recognition, identification and management of conduct disorder in children and young people. Read our Conduct disorder draft scope submission (8 February 2011) Read the draft scope here
NICE: Schizophrenia in children and young people The ACP responded to this consultation on the draft scope of new NICE guidance on the recognition and management of schizophrenia in under-18s. Read our submission here (17 January 2011) Learn more about the guidance here Download the consultation comments table here (July 2011)
Submissions 2010
Independent Commission into Early Intervention: The Commission, led by Graham Allen MP, invited submissions to its Independent Review on Early Intervention Delivery. The review is looking at examples of successful projects and will focus on the identification of best practice in the field of early intervention; the dissemination and delivery of best practice; and new ways to fund early intervention in the future. The Commission published its interim report in January 2011 and will publish a final report in May 2011. Read our submission to the Review: The case for early intervention (5 November 2010) Read the interim report Early Intervention The Next Steps (19 January 2011)
Department of Health: Achieving Equity and Excellence for Children The Department of Health invited submissions to this consultation, which aims to create a vision of how the proposed new arrangements for the NHS could improve services for children and young people. The consultation draws together information from the NHS White Paper, Equity and Excellence: liberating the NHS and associated consultation documents, including Sir Ian Kennedy's report Getting It Right for Children and Young People: overcoming cultural barriers in the NHS so as to meet their needs. Read our submission Achieving Equity and Excellence for Children (5 October 2010) Visit the consultation website here
Department for Education: Tickell Review of Early Years Foundation Stage Clare Tickell, chief executive of Action for Children, led this review into the Early Years Foundation Stage. The review examined whether all providers should follow the same curriculum for under-fives and whether the EYFS places too many bureaucratic burdens on childcare providers. The final report was due to be published in Spring 2011. Read our response to the Tickell Review (30 September 2010)
NICE: Nocturnal enuresis in children (bedwetting) The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence invited comments on the draft guideline for the management of bedwetting and nocturnal enuresis in children and young people. Read our Nocturnal enuresis response here. Download the final guidance here (27 October 2010)
NICE/SCIE: Looked after children and young people The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) has developed guidance on promoting the quality of life of looked after children and young people. Child psychotherapist and ACP member Sophie Boswell was a member of the Guideline Development Group. Read our Looked after children submission on the draft guidance (14 April 2010) Read our submission on the Looked after children draft scope (23 July 2008) Download the final guidelines here (published 19 October 2010 and updated 12 November 2010)
NICE: Social and emotional wellbeing of vulnerable pre-school children The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence invited comments on the draft scope of this guidance on the social and emotional wellbeing of vulnerable pre-school children: early education and day care and home-based interventions. Download our submission for early education and day care (13 April 2010) Download our submission for home based interventions (13 April 2010)
Submissions 2009
NICE: Constipation in children The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence invited comments on the draft scope of this guidance on the diagnosis and management of idiopathic childhood constipation in primary and secondary care. Read our Constipation in children submission (25 November 2009) Read the final guidance here (published 26 May 2010)
Health Professions Council: consultation on statutory regulation of psychotherapy and counselling Consultation on the recommendations of the Professional Liaison Group on the regulation of counselling and psychotherapy. Read our HPC submission here (16 October 2009) Find out more about the consultation here
National Assembly for Wales' Children and Young People Committee: Examining the effectiveness of systems for placing children and young people in care The committee invited responses to this consultation on the placement of children into care in Wales and our Regional Group for Wales responded. Read our submission to the National Assembly for Wales (11 September 2009) Visit the Children and Young People Committee website
NICE: Self-harm (longer term management) The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence invited comments on the draft scope of this guidance on the longer term management of self harm covering all people over the age of eight. Read our Self-harm (longer term management) submission (4 September 2009) Visit the self-harm guidance page on the NICE website
Department for Children, Schools and Families: Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked after children - revised statutory guidance The DCSF invited comments on updated guidance issued under section 10 the Children Act 2004 on the delivery of services from health agencies and local authorities to promote the health of looked after children and young people. Read our DCSF submission (3 August 2009)
NICE : autism spectrum disorders in children and young people: recognition, referral and diagnosis The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence invited comments on the draft scope of this guidance on the recognition, referral and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders in children and young people. Read our Autism spectrum draft scope submission (7 July 2009)
Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE): Working with parents with mental health problems and their children SCIE invited submissions to this consultation on draft guidance for adult and children's mental health and social care services. Responses were invited in the form of an online questionnaire. Read a document version of our Parental Mental Health submission (15 May 2009)
Neonatal Care Commissioning Framework and Neonatal Standards Developed in consultation with the Neonatal Taskforce, a joint Department of Health and NHS initiative, in conjunction with clinicians and the special baby care charity Bliss. The Standards are intended to help commissioners and providers "plan, deliver and quality assure neonatal services" and will be used in conjunction with the Framework. Responses were invited in the form of an online questionnaire. Read a document version of our Neonatal care submission (16 April 2009) Read the final guidance here (published 4 November 2009)
Northern Ireland: Consultation on the Development of Psychological Therapy Services The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Northern Ireland, invited stakeholders to comment on a draft strategy aimed at "improving access to psychological therapies”. The ACP submitted our response in support of a separate submission by our colleagues in Northern Ireland, who operate under the name Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Northern Ireland (CAPPNI). ACP submission Northern Ireland Psychological Services (27 March 2009) CAPPNI submission Northern Ireland Psychological Services(27 March 2009)
NICE epilepsy update The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence updated its guidance on the pharmacological management of epilepsy. Read our Epilepsy submission to the consultation on the draft scope (2 March 2009) Visit the epilepsy update page on the NICE website
NICE guidelines on child maltreatment The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is developing guidance for healthcare professionals on when to suspect child maltreatment. Read our Child maltreatment submission to the consultation on the draft guidance (10 February 2009) Read the final guidance here (published 22 July 2009) Download the guidelines consultation comments table (published 22 July 2009) NB: The ACP's comments and NICE's responses can be found on pages 26-36.
DCSF/Ofsted guidance on school wellbeing As signalled in the Children's Plan, the Department for Children, Schools and Families and Ofsted are working on school-level indicators of pupils' wellbeing. Read our Ofsted pupil wellbeing submission to the consultation here, see page 19 onwards (16 January 2009)
Department of Health framework for children with long-term health needs The Department of Health carried out a consultation on proposals to develop a National Framework for assessing children and young people's continuing care. Read our DoH continuing care submission to the consultation (31 December 2008)
NICE guidelines on pupil wellbeing The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is developing public health intervention guidance on promoting social and emotional wellbeing in secondary education. Read our pupil wellbeing submission to the consultation (15 December 2008) Read the final guidance here (23 September 2009)
Submissions 2008
Lord Laming Report on Safeguarding Lord Laming was asked by the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families to prepare a report of progress in implementing effective arrangements for safeguarding children, in light of the death of 'Baby P'. Read our Lord Laming Safeguarding Report submission to Lord Laming's call for written contributions (10 December 2008)
Children, Schools and Families Committee inquiry into looked after children The Children, Schools and Families Parliamentary Committee, which examines the administration, expenditure and policy of the Department for Children, Schools and Families, launched an inquiry into government proposals to improve the care of looked after children. Read our Children Schools Families looked after children submission (February 2008) Visit the Committee page here
Independent CAMHS Review The Independent Review of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) was commissioned by the Department of Children, Families and Schools and the Department of Health and chaired by Jo Davidson and Dr Bob Jezzard. The Review’s aim is to measure progress since the publication of the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services (September 2004). Read our CAMHS Review submission (July 2008)
NIMHE National Workforce Programme: New Ways of Working The National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) oversaw the New Ways of Working (NWW) initiative under its National Workforce Programme, which was a way of encouraging mental health staff to work more flexibly within teams. Read our submission to the consultation on New Ways of Working here: New Ways of Working - the contribution of child and adolescent psychotherapists to New Ways of Working for CAMHS (April 2008)
Submissions 2007
Skills for Health consultation on National Occupational Standards Between December 2006 and February 2007, Skills for Health carried out a nationwide consultation on the development of National Occupational Standards for Psychological Therapies. Such standards are to be used UK-wide to develop appraisals and exit interviews, write job descriptions, aid professional supervision and Continuing Professional Development (CPD), commission education and training, evaluate practice, inform team skills mix and develop career and qualification frameworks. Read our submission to the consultation here: Skills for Health NOS submission (February 2007)