EXPERTS at a self harm awareness charity could help take the strain from an overstretched children’s mental health service - if they received adequate funding.

Those at the helm of the Self-harm Awareness for All organisation say their efforts to reach out to escalating numbers of youngsters at risk of low moods and self harm across the area have been thwarted by a lack of cash.

They are now to call upon MPs across Cumbria for urgent help to address the situation so more children and young people are offered help before their mental health deteriorates.

Rod White, chairman of the charity, based in Duke Street, Barrow, described the funding situation as ‘painfully slow’ and ‘frustrating’ as they struggle to draw the cash they need to provide the desperately needed service.

He added he was aware the county's Children and Adolescents Mental Health Service - for young people with moderate to acute needs - was struggling to cope because there are not enough early intervention help available.

“Here at Safa we are aware of this problem and have existed since 2007 specifically to fill that gap,” Mr White told the Evening Mail.

“We do provide early intervention and are used in many schools, colleges and GP services as a first point of referral.

“Safa’s frustration has been lack of access to adequate funding.

“We have had a number of meetings with statutory providers, but their integration of service with our so called third sector provision has been painfully slow.”

Mr White added: “Unfortunately, CAMHS has not always been able to see young people referred to them quickly.

“All the evidence suggests that early intervention is effective in preventing a further downward spiral.

“We have got the facilities, but if we had the funding we could take on additional counsellors to help more people.”

The charity, which relies on donations and grants from public bodies for the funds to keep going, will need to find an extra £150,000 to continue to offer their talking therapy services over the next three years.

However, ideally, it would like to secure direct Government funding to offer security to its staff and to expand the availability of help on offer.

“For the first time in 2013 we had a waiting list for appointments," Mr White added.

“People can’t afford to wait when it comes to mental health care and dosing them up with tablets, particularly young people, is not the answer.”

Last week, the Evening Mail launched a Healthy Young Minds campaign in a bid to improve access to mental health services for under 18s.

Camhs bosses claimed 30 per cent of cases are inappropriately referred and would instead benefit from tier two help.

A spokesman for the Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group, the body that buys in health services for the county, said it was now in the process of setting up a new primary mental health early intervention service - and Safa would be welcome to bid for the contract along with other voluntary sector organisations.

“This early intervention service will provide a single point of contact that assesses a child or young person’s need and either gives them support or directs them to another service.

“In addition, this service will provide training and support to schools, GPs and others in order to improve their understanding of the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people so  that they are both better supported and are directed to more specialist services as soon as they need them.”

The CCCG spokesman went on: “Safa, along with other voluntary organisations, is invited to bid to provide this service either on their own or as part of a consortium with others.”