Dr. Niall Muldoon:

It just needs to be set up that way. We are in a situation now where we are so far behind every other country on this. We have piloted a programme for advocacy within two units but that must be three years in existence now. The principle of everything that has been learned from that needs to be extended so that any child in a serious situation, or any child involved in CAMHS who might need advocacy and be serious enough for inpatient care, needs to have that advocate available to him or her. We need to just roll that out. I am not sure who would be best to do that but it is crucial that we provide it for the children. Even if we include the private units, there are just six units across the country. We are looking at 100 children at any one time or possibly 200 or 300 - I am sure the committee has the figures. While not all of them will make it in, we might be looking at 300 or 400 children at the most in a year. A well-resourced, well-trained advocacy service will be invaluable and, as I said, it will not just be for the children but for their families as well.