ABSTRACT
The majority of child psychotherapists work within the National Health Service in community child and adolescent mental health teams. There is no single formula for the composition of these teams which have developed at the local level according to the priorities of health, education and social service departments of that area. These services were traditionally jointfunded with health, education and social service departments all putting money into the service which would then employ childcare professionals from each agency. Education funded education social workers, psychiatric social workers, educational psychologists, educational therapists and, occasionally, special needs teachers. Social services funded social workers who had statutory casework training and sometimes retained statutory responsibilities in the mental health team. Health services funded child psychiatrists, child psychotherapists, clinical psychologists and nurses. The particular mixture of different professionals was variable and so were their priorities. For example, if a team was funded by education there would be a greater concentration on school problems and expectation that the team be responsive to difficulties such as bullying and school refusal. Where social services departments funded the service, greater concentration on child protection, accommodated and fostered children, treatment of abused and neglected youngsters and support to residential homes was expected. Health departments, which are always one of the fund providers, have their own priorities in screening and treating mental illness, depression, para-suicides and rarer conditions such as childhood psychosis or eating disorders.
