Latest news with #ChloeBarber
Scottish Sun
24-07-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Tragedy as brother, 15, finds sister, 18, dead at home after she ‘slipped through the gaps' in NHS care
Chloe's family described her as 'a truly wonderful young lady' who was a music lover and gifted artist FAMILY'S HEARTBREAK Tragedy as brother, 15, finds sister, 18, dead at home after she 'slipped through the gaps' in NHS care Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TEENAGE Chloe Barber was found dead at home by her 15-year-old brother after "slipping through the gaps" of NHS mental health care. The "bright, brilliant and beautiful" 18-year-old from Driffield, East Yorkshire, struggled with her mental health after being cruelly bullied at school and on social media. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Chloe Barber, 18, took her own life after slipping through gaps in NHS mental health services when she became an adult Credit: MEN Media In 2017, Chloe overdosed on pain relief medication and was referred to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Four years later, in November 2021, Chloe's body was found by her 15 year-old brother after she ended her own life. Her heartbroken family say the teen was left with a "complete lack of support" as she came of age and tried to transition from child to adult mental health services. "Chloe was passed from pillar to post and we lost her because she was allowed to slip through gaps in the system," they stated. Two reports commissioned following her death - including a serious Incident report by Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust and an independent Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR) - found a string of mental health service failings, which may have contributed to her death. A coroner who examined Chloe's case found there was not a "clear path" for patients to transition from child and adolescent to adult mental health services, He intends to issue a Prevention of Future Deaths report to protect other teens in Chloe's position. "It's difficult to put into words the kind of person Chloe was," her family said in a statement. "She was amazing, bright, brilliant, beautiful, caring and stubborn. A truly wonderful young lady. "She loved all kinds of music and was always wearing headphones. She was always dancing around to the song Pocketful of Sunshine. "She was a gifted artist and loved drawing, and we always proudly displayed her artwork on the walls of our family home. "Our hearts have been broken beyond repair since she left us, but we are so proud of Chloe and grateful for the time we had her in our lives." After being referred to CAMHS in 2017, Chloe continued to struggle with her mental health for the next four years. She made another attempt at self harm in 2018 and had stays in several psychiatric units. 2 The teen struggled with her mental health for four years but was described by her family as 'bright, brilliant and beautiful' Credit: MEN Media In early 2021, she was sectioned under the Mental Health Act and hospitalised at Cygnet Hospital in Sheffield, where she remained until July. Chloe was diagnosed with unstable personality disorder "evolvingly unstable personality disorder", characterised by "difficulties on how an individual feels about themselves and is associated with impulsive behaviour", per the BBC. But her family claimed they weren't informed of her diagnosis or how they could support her. Chloe was due to transfer to adult mental health services but struggled to engage with CAMHS and the Complex Emotional Needs Service (CENS). Just before her eighteenth birthday, she request that her medication be reviewed. But her family claimed: "This never took place as no one in any service took responsibility for who would be responsible for managing and monitoring Chloe's medication in the community. How to get help EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers. It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes. And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women. Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now. If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support: CALM, 0800 585 858 Heads Together, HUMEN Mind, 0300 123 3393 Papyrus, 0800 068 41 41 Samaritans, 116 123 "She became so frustrated with the 'faffing around' that she told them not to bother." Iftikhar Manzoor, a senior litigation executive at Hudgell Solicitors who represented Chloe's family, added: "When she was discharged from children's mental health care and into adult care, she was effectively abandoned without a full assessment or care plan being devised and without any appropriate support being offered to her family. "Just a week before she took her own life, her father reported an incident of serious self-harm, which left her needing hospital treatment, and yet she was still not referred to Vulnerable Adults Risk Management." This is a forum that could have considered Chloe's case from a safeguarding perspective. Following her death, an independent SAR review flagged a number of failures from Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust regarding Chloe's care. This included a failure to assess and consider Chloe's need for aftercare services and a failure to ensure Chloe had an updated safety plan for use in the community. This is a case which has exposed worrying gaps in the 18 does not make somebody with a serious mental health illness suddenly able to make decisions in their own best interests Iftikhar Manzoor The SAR also identified failures in relation to the local authority including failure by adult social care to accept Chloe's referral and failure by Children's services to re-refer Chloe to adult social care when she turned 18. Senior coroner Professor Paul Marks, who conducted an inquest in Chloe's death, said there was a 'lack of documentation and poor communication between services and partner organisations'. But he concluded that, on the balance of probabilities, these failures and missed opportunities only minimally contributed to Chloe's death. While "many matters were true or partially true, no causation flows from them", he said. "The unpredictability of impulsive behaviour with evolving emotional personality disorder coupled with services offered makes it probable there was no realistic opportunity to prevent her death," the coroner concluded. Depression... the signs to look for and what to do Depression can manifest in many ways. We all feel a bit low from time to time. But depression is persistent and can make a person feel helpless and unable to see a way through. They may also struggle to about daily life. Mind says these are some common signs of depression that you may experience: How you might feel Down, upset or tearful Restless, agitated or irritable Guilty, worthless and down on yourself Empty and numb Isolated and unable to relate to other people Finding no pleasure in life or things you usually enjoy Angry or frustrated over minor things A sense of unreality No self-confidence or self-esteem Hopeless and despairing Feeling tired all the time How you might act Avoiding social events and activities you usually enjoy Self-harming or suicidal behaviour Difficulty speaking, thinking clearly or making decisions Losing interest in sex Difficulty remembering or concentrating on things Using more tobacco, alcohol or other drugs than usual Difficulty sleeping, or sleeping too much No appetite and losing weight, or eating more than usual and gaining weight Physical aches and pains with no obvious physical cause Moving very slowly, or being restless and agitated If you feel this way, visit your GP who can help you. If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support. The following are free to contact and confidential: Samaritans, 116 123, jo@ CALM (the leading movement against suicide in men) 0800 585 858 Papyrus (prevention of young suicide) 0800 068 41 41 Shout (for support of all mental health) text 85258 to start a conversation Mind, provide information about types of mental health problems and where to get help for them. Email info@ or call the infoline on 0300 123 3393 (UK landline calls are charged at local rates, and charges from mobile phones will vary). YoungMinds run a free, confidential parents helpline on 0808 802 5544 for parents or carers worried about how a child or young person is feeling or behaving. The website has a chat option too. Rethink Mental Illness, gives advice and information service offers practical advice on a wide range of topics such as The Mental Health Act, social care, welfare benefits, and carers rights. Use its website or call 0300 5000 927 (calls are charged at your local rate). A spokesperson for the Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust told Hull Live: 'The coroner's inquest conclusion found no evidence of causation attributable to the Trust and acknowledged that any learnings taken from the case have already been embedded effectively by the Trust. "We would like to thank HM Senior Coroner for his careful and thorough consideration of the circumstances surrounding the sad death of Chloe Barber, a patient discharged from our care in 2021. 'Our organisation remains committed to continually learning and making meaningful improvements to the safety and quality of the care we provide. "Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are extended to Chloe's family and loved ones.' 'Worrying gaps in the system' Chloe's family said in a statement: "There was a multitude of social workers and mental health professionals assigned to her case in a short period of time, and there was no clear protocol or process in place that could be followed when Chloe was due to transition from CAMHS to adult services following her eighteenth birthday. "There was a consistent lack of record keeping and information sharing between services, which we feel is utterly unacceptable. "Consequently, important information that highlighted Chloe's risk of harm to herself was not identified. "We feel there was a complete lack of support for the family throughout, particularly when Chloe was discharged from inpatient services into the community." Mr Manzoor added: "Chloe and her family were completely failed by mental health services. "Chloe was a vulnerable young person with a history of serious mental health issues that made her a clear risk to herself. "She had made repeated attempts on her own life, had avoided taking medication which helped her and she had repeatedly talked of ending her life. "Her family were perplexed and concerned that after several years of support and treatment, including inpatient admissions to hospitals, Chloe was deemed at the age of 18 to be able to decline all services, despite the risk she posed to herself and her history of self-harm. "This is a case which has exposed worrying gaps in the system. "Turning 18 does not make somebody with a serious mental health illness suddenly able to make decisions in their own best interests. "Once Chloe was discharged from mental health care, her family were left fearing the worst would happen, and it did."
The Sun
24-07-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Tragedy as brother, 15, finds sister, 18, dead at home after she ‘slipped through the gaps' in NHS care
TEENAGE Chloe Barber was found dead at home by her 15-year-old brother after "slipping through the gaps" of NHS mental health care. The "bright, brilliant and beautiful" 18-year-old from Driffield, East Yorkshire, struggled with her mental health after being cruelly bullied at school and on social media. In 2017, Chloe overdosed on pain relief medication and was referred to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Four years later, in November 2021, Chloe's body was found by her 15 year-old brother after she ended her own life. Her heartbroken family say the teen was left with a "complete lack of support" as she came of age and tried to transition from child to adult mental health services. "Chloe was passed from pillar to post and we lost her because she was allowed to slip through gaps in the system," they stated. Two reports commissioned following her death - including a serious Incident report by Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust and an independent Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR) - found a string of mental health service failings, which may have contributed to her death. A coroner who examined Chloe's case found there was not a "clear path" for patients to transition from child and adolescent to adult mental health services, He intends to issue a Prevention of Future Deaths report to protect other teens in Chloe's position. "It's difficult to put into words the kind of person Chloe was," her family said in a statement. "She was amazing, bright, brilliant, beautiful, caring and stubborn. A truly wonderful young lady. "She loved all kinds of music and was always wearing headphones. She was always dancing around to the song Pocketful of Sunshine. "She was a gifted artist and loved drawing, and we always proudly displayed her artwork on the walls of our family home. "Our hearts have been broken beyond repair since she left us, but we are so proud of Chloe and grateful for the time we had her in our lives." After being referred to CAMHS in 2017, Chloe continued to struggle with her mental health for the next four years. She made another attempt at self harm in 2018 and had stays in several psychiatric units. 2 In early 2021, she was sectioned under the Mental Health Act and hospitalised at Cygnet Hospital in Sheffield, where she remained until July. Chloe was diagnosed with unstable personality disorder "evolvingly unstable personality disorder", characterised by "difficulties on how an individual feels about themselves and is associated with impulsive behaviour", per the BBC. But her family claimed they weren't informed of her diagnosis or how they could support her. Chloe was due to transfer to adult mental health services but struggled to engage with CAMHS and the Complex Emotional Needs Service (CENS). Just before her eighteenth birthday, she request that her medication be reviewed. But her family claimed: "This never took place as no one in any service took responsibility for who would be responsible for managing and monitoring Chloe's medication in the community. How to get help EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers. It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes. And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women. Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now. If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support: CALM, 0800 585 858 Heads Together, HUMEN Mind, 0300 123 3393 Papyrus, 0800 068 41 41 Samaritans, 116 123 "She became so frustrated with the 'faffing around' that she told them not to bother." Iftikhar Manzoor, a senior litigation executive at Hudgell Solicitors who represented Chloe's family, added: "When she was discharged from children's mental health care and into adult care, she was effectively abandoned without a full assessment or care plan being devised and without any appropriate support being offered to her family. "Just a week before she took her own life, her father reported an incident of serious self-harm, which left her needing hospital treatment, and yet she was still not referred to Vulnerable Adults Risk Management." This is a forum that could have considered Chloe's case from a safeguarding perspective. Following her death, an independent SAR review flagged a number of failures from Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust regarding Chloe's care. This included a failure to assess and consider Chloe's need for aftercare services and a failure to ensure Chloe had an updated safety plan for use in the community. The SAR also identified failures in relation to the local authority including failure by adult social care to accept Chloe's referral and failure by Children's services to re-refer Chloe to adult social care when she turned 18. Senior coroner Professor Paul Marks, who conducted an inquest in Chloe's death, said there was a 'lack of documentation and poor communication between services and partner organisations'. But he concluded that, on the balance of probabilities, these failures and missed opportunities only minimally contributed to Chloe's death. While "many matters were true or partially true, no causation flows from them", he said. "The unpredictability of impulsive behaviour with evolving emotional personality disorder coupled with services offered makes it probable there was no realistic opportunity to prevent her death," the coroner concluded. Depression... the signs to look for and what to do Depression can manifest in many ways. We all feel a bit low from time to time. But depression is persistent and can make a person feel helpless and unable to see a way through. They may also struggle to about daily life. Mind says these are some common signs of depression that you may experience: How you might feel Down, upset or tearful Restless, agitated or irritable Guilty, worthless and down on yourself Empty and numb Isolated and unable to relate to other people Finding no pleasure in life or things you usually enjoy Angry or frustrated over minor things A sense of unreality No self-confidence or self-esteem Hopeless and despairing Feeling tired all the time How you might act Avoiding social events and activities you usually enjoy Self-harming or suicidal behaviour Difficulty speaking, thinking clearly or making decisions Losing interest in sex Difficulty remembering or concentrating on things Using more tobacco, alcohol or other drugs than usual Difficulty sleeping, or sleeping too much No appetite and losing weight, or eating more than usual and gaining weight Physical aches and pains with no obvious physical cause Moving very slowly, or being restless and agitated If you feel this way, visit your GP who can help you. If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support. The following are free to contact and confidential: Samaritans, 116 123, jo@ CALM (the leading movement against suicide in men) 0800 585 858 Papyrus (prevention of young suicide) 0800 068 41 41 Shout (for support of all mental health) text 85258 to start a conversation Mind, provide information about types of mental health problems and where to get help for them. Email info@ or call the infoline on 0300 123 3393 (UK landline calls are charged at local rates, and charges from mobile phones will vary). YoungMinds run a free, confidential parents helpline on 0808 802 5544 for parents or carers worried about how a child or young person is feeling or behaving. The website has a chat option too. Rethink Mental Illness, gives advice and information service offers practical advice on a wide range of topics such as The Mental Health Act, social care, welfare benefits, and carers rights. Use its website or call 0300 5000 927 (calls are charged at your local rate). A spokesperson for the Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust told Hull Live: 'The coroner's inquest conclusion found no evidence of causation attributable to the Trust and acknowledged that any learnings taken from the case have already been embedded effectively by the Trust. "We would like to thank HM Senior Coroner for his careful and thorough consideration of the circumstances surrounding the sad death of Chloe Barber, a patient discharged from our care in 2021. 'Our organisation remains committed to continually learning and making meaningful improvements to the safety and quality of the care we provide. "Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are extended to Chloe's family and loved ones.' 'Worrying gaps in the system' Chloe's family said in a statement: "There was a multitude of social workers and mental health professionals assigned to her case in a short period of time, and there was no clear protocol or process in place that could be followed when Chloe was due to transition from CAMHS to adult services following her eighteenth birthday. "There was a consistent lack of record keeping and information sharing between services, which we feel is utterly unacceptable. "Consequently, important information that highlighted Chloe's risk of harm to herself was not identified. "We feel there was a complete lack of support for the family throughout, particularly when Chloe was discharged from inpatient services into the community." Mr Manzoor added: "Chloe and her family were completely failed by mental health services. "Chloe was a vulnerable young person with a history of serious mental health issues that made her a clear risk to herself. "She had made repeated attempts on her own life, had avoided taking medication which helped her and she had repeatedly talked of ending her life. "Her family were perplexed and concerned that after several years of support and treatment, including inpatient admissions to hospitals, Chloe was deemed at the age of 18 to be able to decline all services, despite the risk she posed to herself and her history of self-harm. "This is a case which has exposed worrying gaps in the system. "Turning 18 does not make somebody with a serious mental health illness suddenly able to make decisions in their own best interests.
BBC News
18-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Driffield teen Chloe Barber took her own life, coroner concludes
A young woman with a history of self harm and stays in psychiatric hospitals took her own life, a coroner has Barber, 18, from Driffield, was found dead at home by a family member on 3 November coroner Prof Paul Marks said it was "probable there was no realistic opportunity to prevent her death".Despite this, he said his inquiries found there was not a "clear path" for patients to transition from child and adolescent to adult mental health services, and is now compiling a Prevention of Future Deaths report to highlight the issue. Following the inquest into Miss Barber's death, Prof Marks described the family's experience as "very harrowing".He said that he believed "nationwide there is not a clear path for transition from Children and Mental Health Services (CAHMS) and adult psychiatric services".Miss Barber had first attempted to self-harm in 2017 when she was in Year 9 and experienced bullying at school, the inquest this incident, she had contact with CAMHS. A further attempt at self harm was made in Barber went on to have several stays in psychiatric units, including in Hull, before being transferred to Cygnet Hospital in Sheffield in 2021 after being sectioned under the Mental Health came home after she managed to successfully appeal detention via a mental health tribunal and no major incidents initially occurred, the inquest 3 November 2021, Miss Barber was found unconscious at her home.A family member tried to resuscitate her and called 999 but Miss Barber was declared dead by paramedics a short time later. 'Did have capacity' Prof Marks said Miss Barber had an "evolvingly unstable personality disorder" which was characterised by "difficulties on how an individual feels about themselves and is associated with impulsive behaviour".He added that Miss Barber, on the balance of probabilities, "did have capacity in refusing to engage with adult psychiatric services".Concerns were raised about Miss Barber's aftercare, care programme approach, capacity assessment and risk management processes around vulnerable Prof Marks said while "many matters were true or partially true, no causation flows from them"."The unpredictably of impulsive behaviour with evolving emotional personality disorder coupled with services offered makes it probable there was no realistic opportunity to prevent her death," he concluded. After the hearing, Chloe's family said in a statement issued through Hudgell Solicitors: "It's difficult to put into words the kind of person Chloe was. She was amazing, bright, brilliant, beautiful, caring and stubborn. A truly wonderful young lady. "She loved all kinds of music and was always wearing headphones. She was always dancing around wherever she was to the song Pocketful of Sunshine."She was a gifted artist and loved drawing, and we always proudly displayed her artwork on the walls of our family home. She loved to shop, spending all her money in Primark and loved animals, especially her pets and her dog, Chester."Need help? If you have been affected by this story the BBC Action Line web page features a list of organisations which are ready to provide support and advice. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices
