The Government has today published its independent review into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism. It found that 

Ombudsman Paula Sussex said:

“The Government’s independent review provides an important opportunity to consider how the system responds to rising demand for mental health, ADHD and autism services. Right now, the system is too complex and inconsistent. Our recent report on improving ADHD and autism services found people facing long waits, confusing pathways and inconsistent access to care. This has been mirrored in the findings of the Government’s review.

“Many of the recommendations from our report are reflected in the Government’s review, in particular our call for diagnostic only assessment providers to be regulated by the CQC, updated NICE guidelines, improved data collection and digital tools. The focus must be on delivering quality, sustainable services with people at their heart, including via a Right to Choose pathway that can meet demand. I look forward to working with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England as they take forward the review’s findings.”

Deputy-Ombudsman Mikko Sarja has followed up on the measures taken by certain wellbeing services counties and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health following his earlier decisions concerning funds for promoting independence. According to the reports received, the wellbeing services counties have begun to remedy shortcomings in the accrual of funds for promoting independence for children and young people and to pay young people funds that had not accrued for them. The practices of all wellbeing services counties were not examined nationwide in this context.

In his previous decisions, the Deputy-Ombudsman drew attention to significant shortcomings in the accrual of funds for promoting independence for children who had been placed in substitute care (see press release). He also considered that the legislation should be clarified to safeguard the equal treatment of children.

The Deputy-Ombudsman considers it important that the realisation of children’s rights should not depend on the area in which a child has been placed. According to the reports received, differences remain between the practices of the wellbeing services counties, particularly with regard to how failures dating from the period when municipalities were responsible are taken into account.

Corrective measures have been taken

The wellbeing services counties included in the assessment reported that they had taken corrective measures following the Ombudsman’s decisions.

The Wellbeing Services County of Western Uusimaa stated that it would compensate for missing funds for promoting independence for the period during which it has had responsibility for organising the services concerned (Deputy-Ombudsman’s decision EOAK/240/2025, in Finnish). However, the wellbeing services county has not yet decided how children and young people will be compensated for shortcomings that arose before the wellbeing services county reform, when the municipalities were responsible.

The Wellbeing Services County of Southwest Finland paid the young person the missing funds for promoting independence. The wellbeing services county is also examining the accrual of funds for promoting independence for other young people in substitute care. Funds for promoting independence that did not accrue during the period when the municipalities were responsible will be recovered from the municipalities.

The Wellbeing Services County of North Ostrobothnia stated that it would compensate the young person for the missing funds for promoting independence in accordance with the Ombudsman’s calculation. In addition, the wellbeing services county has assessed the situations of other children and young people in similar circumstances and has begun to remedy the shortcomings identified.

The Wellbeing Services County of Central Finland stated that it had calculated the funds for promoting independence that had not accrued for the child and would reserve them for the young person to use when becoming independent. At the same time, the wellbeing services county has taken self-monitoring measures to ensure the appropriate accrual of funds for promoting independence for all children in substitute care in the future.

The Wellbeing Services County of Päijät-Häme stated that it would retroactively compensate for missing funds for promoting independence from the beginning of 2013 until the child began receiving an orphan’s pension.

Ministry considers clarification of the legislation necessary

In its notification of measures (see the Deputy-Ombudsman’s proposal EOAK/3212/2026, in Finnish), the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has also acknowledged that there are ambiguities in the provisions on funds for promoting independence and their implementation. The Ministry considers the needs for legislative clarification raised by the Deputy-Ombudsman to be justified.

According to the Ministry, the provisions on funds for promoting independence have been examined as part of the preparations for the comprehensive reform of child welfare. However, reform of the provisions has been postponed to a later stage.

The Deputy-Ombudsman welcomes the fact that the wellbeing services counties have begun to remedy the shortcomings identified. However, in his view, it is important for the equal treatment of children that practices concerning the determination and compensation of funds for promoting independence are clear and consistent throughout the country.

On September 28, 2026, the Public Defender of Georgia submitted an amicus curiae brief to the Senaki District Court, clarifying the legal standards for protection against victimization.

Effective protection against victimization has frequently been a subject of the Public Defender's work, and individuals actively turn to the Public Defender regarding alleged instances of victimization. Clearly defining the legal standards for protection against victimization is crucial both for ensuring the effective protection of individuals utilizing legal safeguards and for the consistent development of judicial practice.

In light of these standards - including the criteria for establishing victimization and the significance of distributing the burden of proof - the Public Defender deemed it appropriate to provide the court with an overview and clarification of the relevant legal standards. It is noteworthy that the amicus curiae brief does not aim to support the interests of any specific party; rather, it relies on human rights law, including legal standards established at both national and international levels.

Within the scope of his mandate, the Public Defender of Georgia continues to actively strengthen equality standards and promote their protection. The effective functioning of anti-discrimination mechanisms ensures the creation of a legal environment in which every individual has equal access to effective means of protecting his/her rights.

Volksanwalt Bernhard Achitz: Linie der Volksanwaltschaft in weiterem Fall bestätigt – Recht auf Assistenz sollte in allen Bundesländern gelten

Ende 2025 hatte die Volksanwaltschaft kritisiert, dass zwei Kinder mit Diabetes Diabetes-Mellitus-Typ-I vom Land Steiermark keine Persönliche Assistenz im Kindergarten bekommen hatten. Denn dafür wäre eine Behinderung die Voraussetzung, Diabetes I sei aber eine Krankheit. Volksanwalt Bernhard Achitz damals: „Dass Diabetes Typ I eine beeinflussbare Krankheit wäre, ist eine völlig falsche Einschätzung. Die Behauptung, der Krankheitsverlauf wäre durch Kontrollen oder Therapie ‚beeinflussbar‘, ist Unsinn, wie alle Fachleute bestätigen.“ Die Bundes-Rechtslage sagt: Kinder mit Diabetes Typ I haben eine 50-prozentige Behinderung. Mittlerweile hat das Landesverwaltungsgericht (LVwG) Steiermark in beiden Fällen die Ansicht der Volksanwaltschaft bestätigt: Beide Kinder haben das Recht auf Persönliche Assistenz.

UN-BRK sagt, dass auch Kinder mit Behinderungen volle Bildungschancen bekommen

Volksanwalt Achitz: „Ich gehe davon aus, dass das Land Steiermark dementsprechend allen betroffenen Kindern die Persönliche Assistenz finanziert. Und natürlich sollte das in den anderen Bundesländern nicht anders sein.“ Die Unterstützung von Menschen mit Behinderungen ist Sache der Länder, entsprechend unterschiedlich können die Regeln ausgestaltet sein. Achitz: „Aber die UN-Behindertenrechtskonvention (UN-BRK), die Österreich unterzeichnet hat und die selbstverständlich auch für die Bundesländer gilt, lässt nicht zu, dass Kinder mit einer Behinderung oder einer chronischen Krankheit weniger Bildungschancen erhalten als andere Kinder. Auch das Bundesverfassungsgesetz über die Rechte von Kindern (BVG Kinderrechte) legt fest, dass jedes Kind mit Behinderung Anspruch auf den Schutz und die Fürsorge hat, die seinen besonderen Bedürfnissen Rechnung tragen. So ist auch die Gleichbehandlung von Kindern mit und ohne Behinderung in allen Bereichen des täglichen Lebens zu gewährleisten.“

World Mental Health Day, observed annually on 10 October, provides an opportunity to raise awareness of mental health, challenge stigma and strengthen efforts to ensure that people can access the support and care they need. Mental health affects every part of society, from families and workplaces to schools, communities and public services. Creating an environment in which people feel able to speak openly and seek help remains an important part of prevention and early intervention.

This year’s theme, “Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change”, places particular emphasis on recognising the knowledge and experience of persons who have faced mental health challenges first hand. Giving greater attention to lived experience can help shape policy, improve services and strengthen care systems. It can also contribute to reducing stigma and ensuring that mental health services remain person centred, responsive and respectful of the dignity of those who seek support.

From lived experience to prevention, treatment and care

The principles behind this year’s World Mental Health Day have a strong connection with the theme chosen by the Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman for its 2026 thematic lecture: “Mental health risks and concerns: strategic goals and best practices for prevention, treatment and care”.

Listening is central to both. The experiences of persons who use mental health services can help institutions understand what works, where difficulties arise and how services can respond better. This is also closely connected to the work of an Ombudsman. Complaints and experiences brought forward by persons provide an important insight into how public services operate in practice and can help identify opportunities for improvement.

The thematic lecture will provide a forum to consider mental health from clinical, policy and societal perspectives. The discussion will address prevention, the development of modern services for severe mental illness, learning from serious incidents, appropriate diagnosis and treatment, workforce wellbeing and the importance of ensuring that mental health is treated with the same seriousness as physical health. These discussions complement the message of World Mental Health Day that effective mental health policy should be informed by professional expertise and by the experiences of the persons whom services are intended to support.

International expertise

The thematic lecture will bring together three prominent speakers from the United Kingdom.

Baroness Professor Clare Gerada DBE is Lead for the NHS Primary Care Gambling Service, a general practitioner and a former President and Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners. She established NHS Practitioner Health, a confidential service supporting doctors and other healthcare professionals experiencing mental health and related difficulties. Her work has focused extensively on primary care, mental health, early intervention and the wellbeing of healthcare professionals.

Dr Adrian James is Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity at NHS England and served as President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists from 2020 to 2023. His work has focused on mental health policy, service improvement, workforce wellbeing and equality in healthcare. He has also been a strong advocate for parity of esteem between mental and physical health and for strengthening services for persons with serious mental illness, autism and learning disabilities.

Professor Sir Simon Wessely GBE FRS is Regius Professor of Psychiatry at King’s College London and a psychiatrist and epidemiologist with extensive experience in psychological medicine and mental health research. His work has covered epidemiology, military health, unexplained symptoms, clinical trials and the ways in which people and populations respond to adversity. His career has also included extensive contributions to mental health policy and interdisciplinary research.

A national discussion in Parliament

The lecture will also include a contribution by Professor Anton Grech, Clinical Chairman of Mental Health Services Malta and Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry, who will bring a Maltese clinical and service perspective to the discussion. Professor Raymond Galea, Commissioner for Health within the Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman, will contribute from the perspective of patients’ rights, standards of care and independent oversight.

The thematic lecture will be held on 29 October 2026 in the Plenary Hall of the House of Representatives. It will be hosted by the Parliamentary Ombudsman of Malta, Judge Joseph Zammit McKeon, who will address the event and participate in the discussion. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Hon. Carmelo Abela, will preside over the lecture and will also address those present.

The event has attracted considerable interest. The audience will include Members of Parliament, Permanent Secretaries, Chief Executive Officers, Directors and Heads of Department, senior healthcare professionals, academics, and persons occupying other senior managerial and decision-making positions. This broad representation is expected to contribute to a meaningful discussion on the challenges, priorities and opportunities surrounding mental health policy and care.

World Mental Health Day provides an important reminder that progress in mental health depends on awareness, openness, access to appropriate support and a willingness to listen to lived experience. The thematic lecture later this month will take that discussion further, bringing together professional expertise, public policy, institutional responsibility and the experiences of persons in considering how prevention, treatment and care can continue to develop.