The psychological needs of refugee children are being ignored, experts have warned.

Doctors, teachers and voluntary groups have called on the government to do more to ensure children who seek asylum in the UK receive the help they need.

Thousands of children arrive in the UK with or without their family each year.

Many of these children have come from very traumatised background

Professor Alan Stein

Many have witnessed traumatic events at home and are suffering from a range of psychological problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety.

However, experts say the NHS, schools and local councils are failing to provide proper care for them.

Alan Stein, professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at Oxford University, said many refugee children were traumatised.

"Many of these children have come from very traumatised backgrounds and experiences and many have mental health needs," he told the BBC World Service programme Health Matters.

Needs overlooked

Dr Mina Fazel, a lecturer in child and adolescent psychiatry at Oxford University, said the needs of these children were often overlooked.

"Childhood is a vital and precious time for development and yet the needs of refugee children are easily overlooked leaving them vulnerable and dependent on adults."

Both doctors are part of a new mental health team which is providing assistance to refugee children who are at school in Oxford.

The team, which is funded by the charity Action for Children in Conflict, offers counselling and psychotherapy to children. It also offers advice to teachers.

Sue Amy, a psychotherapist with the team, said the treatment has helped many children.

She said: "Nearly all of the children who come have witnessed extremely traumatic events.

"Most of the children have no idea where their parents are or whether they are alive or dead. Some become very withdrawn. Some remain withdrawn and go into silence.

"So there are some children who are mute. And then other children are much more obviously acting out and angry and aggressive."

Children in Conflict

The charity Action for Children in Conflict has recently received funding from the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund to expand the scheme to other cities.

It is planning to establish similar mental health teams in Cardiff, Leicester, Manchester, Glasgow and Newcastle.

Dr Fazel said: "It's our hope that this way of working can be used as a model for other schools with refugee children around the world to try to help refugee children and make a real difference to their lives."

Mark Smith, director of development with Action for Children in Conflict, said the charity wanted to set up centres of excellence throughout the country.

"It's very important that we recognise that we are never going to be able to meet the all needs of all the schools in any one particular area," he said.

"What we are seeking to do is to set up centres of good practice so we can demonstrate the effectiveness of what we do in the hope that this can be baked into a broader policy and so that local health service and education service as well as central recognise the benefits of doing this sort of work."

He added: "We need to prove that our work is effective."

This story is featured in the radio programme Health Matters on the BBC World Service.

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