'It's a pain I'll carry forever': mum calls for change after death of Horsham schoolboy

Mason Clark was found dead near his home in West Grinstead on September 27 last year. An inquest heard last week how he had struggled with his mental health for a number of years.

It also heard that there was poor information sharing between his school, GP, counsellors, the Youth Emotional Support service run by West Sussex County Council, police, and the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub – MASH.

West Sussex Coroner Penelope Schofield said she had already written to the Department of Health and Social Care regarding the funding of children’s services and that she was aware services in West Sussex were overwhelmed.

She went on to say that, as part of a narrative verdict in relation to Mason’s death, she would include details of missed opportunities to share key information between agencies, which meant the extent of Mason’s struggles with his mental health had not been fully appreciated or treated.

Now Mason’s mum Jessica is working with other professionals, as well as Mason’s friends and family, in a bid to put measures in place to help prevent others taking their own lives.

She is also urging the Government to establish an action group to review services available to young people, and to bring together people with a range of expertise to better meet their needs, including representatives from education, the police, social services, the NHS and private businesses.

Jessica said: “Mason was an inventive, funny and kind young man with so much to live for and people loved him dearly.

“For many years he fought with his mental health, and as a family we tried everything in our power to help him, but the tragic reality is that the various traumas he went through and the way that Mason processed information simply isn’t supported by health, education or social care systems.

“He is like thousands of other children, struggling but unable to meet a threshold that isn't designed for today's need. The ‘unsupported missing middle’.”

She added: “I can’t change what has happened to Mason and my family, it’s a pain I will carry forever, but I can fight to make changes in order to try to prevent others suffering as we have moving forward.”

She said there were “some really good people who are really trying to help across education, the police, health and social care, but they are under resourced and using antiquated systems that prevent easy information sharing.

“Most areas have also lost their youth centres and youth workers who would previously pick up the preventative type of work so that children had someone outside of their home to confide in.

“Time and time again we are losing children because we don’t make these professionals jobs straightforward to enable them to focus on relationships, building trust and confidence, for children to share their feelings honestly, and instead these jobs disappear or become more about form filling.

“Fundamental change is needed to address these problems on a macro level, and I am calling on the Government to carry out an urgent and comprehensive review of what changes can be made to better meet the needs of these young people, and to bring together the right people to make it happen.

“I'm also working with Mason's friends and have set up a group called Make Some Noise in a bid to ensure Mason's legacy lives, and so that we too can make positive changes on the ground.”

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Make Some Noise is raising funds to support a number of mental health charities and is campaigning for better mental health support in schools; suicide prevention awareness for adults and young people; education for young people on digital information; better support for professionals to help them identify red flags and talk to parents and carers, and to facilitate better information sharing.

A Go Fund Me page has been set up in Mason’s memory: https://www.gofundme.com/f/Masons-mental-health-legacy?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=sussexexpress.co.uk&utm_campaign=comms_zqt6+Masons-mental-health-legacy

Jessica was represented at the inquest hearing - the latest in a series of inquests relating to the deaths of young people in the Horsham area - by public law experts at Simpson Millar, barrister Nick Armstrong, and was supported by the charity INQUEST.

Speaking after the inquest, Chris Callender from Simpson Millar said the findings of failures that came to light during both Mason’s inquest and others must now act as a ‘catalyst for change’.

A spokesperson for Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said: "We have been working with our health, education and social care partners to provide additional support for young people, their families, carers and wider school communities.

"This includes the introduction of a new referral system for young people which provides a single route to access specialist emotional wellbeing and mental health support, and an expansion of mental health support and multi-agency support in schools."

And a spokesperson for West Sussex County Council said: “We offer our condolences and thoughts to Mason’s friends and family, and everyone affected by his death.

“We are committed to learning and have already made, and will continue to make changes to improve our services so that young people in vulnerable situations receive the support they need.

“Together with our partners, we are working to develop mental health support and services to help meet the increased need among children and young people.

“Any young person who is in need of mental health support is encouraged to seek the support available.”

See www.westsussex.gov.uk/yourmindmatters

The Samaritans can be called free at any time on 116 123.