Health Minister Robbie Butler has published the finalised HSC Children and Young People's Emotional Health and Wellbeing Framework for Northern Ireland.

The ten-year plan sets out a shared vision to improve emotional health and wellbeing for children and young people through a whole-system approach focused on prevention, early intervention, partnership working and timely access to support. It also stresses that help should be offered as early as possible rather than when issues reach crisis point.

The Minister said: "This Framework is about making it easier for children, young people and families to access support and ensure help is available as early as possible. "We know that families can sometimes find services difficult to navigate. By creating clearer pathways into support, strengthening local neighbourhood-based services and developing a single point of entry approach, we want to make sure children and young people get the right help, at the right time, in the right place.

"The Framework reflects a shared commitment across health, education and community partners to continue shifting our focus towards prevention and early intervention, helping more children and young people stay well and get support before problems escalate.

"Most importantly, it has been shaped by the voices of children, young people and families, and we want those voices to continue to guide implementation in the years ahead."

Work will now move into the implementation phase, with further engagement planned to help shape priorities and ensure the Framework delivers meaningful improvements for children, young people and families.

This will include a dedicated Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) project to engage children and young people, parents, carers and stakeholders in setting implementation priorities and delivery arrangements.

Findings from this engagement will ensure delivery is informed by lived experience and reflects the needs of children, young people and families.