Ms Suzanne Connolly:

Mr. Church spoke earlier about the role of child psychologists. I would say that, rather than focusing on a particular profession, we need CAMHS to address the situation of children who are at serious risk to themselves because they are engaging in self-harming behaviours. If there is a Barnardos centre close to the family's location, I certainly would advise the Chairman to refer them to that centre to see whether we can offer a response. Whether we can do so depends on the degree of self-harming. We certainly can support the parents and talk to the young person. However, if there is a serious level of self-harming, what is needed is the help of a psychiatrist. The danger, ultimately, is that the young person may seriously harm herself. We can offer certain things but not to the degree to which specialist psychiatric intervention may be needed. Having said that, I am aware anecdotally from my own work that it is not unusual, as Mr. Church mentioned, for self-harming sometimes to be happening to a smaller degree. It all depends on the intensity of it.