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Research has highlighted problems in accessing mental health services for people from minority ethnic groups. Much of this literature is focused on adults. The Minority Voices study aimed to identify and describe the perceptions and use of mental health services from the viewpoint of black and minority ethnic (BME) young people aged between 12 and 25 in England and Wales, and to examine initiatives designed to improve the access to, and acceptability of, services for these young people. It used a mixed methods approach, including a literature review, national service mapping, in‐depth interviews and focus groups in four sample areas and action research in preparing materials designed by BME young people. A number of issues that impede access to services, and that are specific to them, were identified and explored with young people from BME groups. These include concerns related to discrimination and racism, confidentiality, family and community pressures, uncertainty about any help they may receive, and marked fears of the stigma that surrounds mental health difficulties. Within services, a lack of capacity of targeted services and of cultural competence were highlighted. The research concluded that there is a need to improve awareness of mental health and information about services among BME communities, and for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to work with these communities to explore ways in which acceptable and appropriate mental health expertise can be made more readily available through both informal and mainstream provision.

This article reviews the first volume of the Journal of Children's Services. In doing so, it discusses broader directions and challenges in research, policy and practice. The article focuses on discussion about outcomes, the ‘idea’ of children's services and the impact of interventions on children's health and development. It welcomes reflections on different approaches to outcome measurement, analyses of the practicalities of implementing policy reforms and rigorous evaluations of the impact of Early Years, parenting and other programmes. At the same time, it suggests specific areas in which more work would be valuable, including: socio‐political commentary on policy developments; methods of and results from need analyses; empirical research on inter‐agency initiatives; how to improve the processes and structures that underpin good outcomes; transitions; and understanding ‘what works’ in research dissemination and utilisation. The value of international perspectives (including intra‐UK comparisons) is stressed. Forthcoming special editions on randomised controlled trials (RCTs) (2007) and anti‐social behaviour by young people (2008) will help to address other points raised.