Mr. Paul Longmore:

We are always cognisant of child protection issues and the need to refer those on to the proper statutory bodies for attention in circumstances where they come to our attention as a mental health service.

It has been interesting to hear from young people about the experience of lockdown in that, for some young people, their family situation has proven very supportive. We have seen the importance of a supportive adult in the life of a young person and some young people have been, shall we say, pleasantly surprised by how their family have come together to support them at a difficult time, when they are missing out on some of the normal structures, such as school, friends and sporting activities.

There are certain families who are experiencing extreme distress and stress at this time and, sometimes, that is manifesting in more conflict in relationships at home. Certainly, as Dr. Duffy was explaining, having different entry points to the mental health system, and having low threshold entry points where people can engage anonymously, provides an opportunity for some young people to flag if they are experiencing abuse at home and to receive the appropriate support or be signposted and directed to the appropriate support.