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An independent report has praised authorities in Jersey involved in the care of a 15-year-old girl who took her own life after suffering from mental health difficulties but offered several recommendations into how those services could be improved.
Concluding the inquest into the death of Elizabeth Emily Borman, Jersey's Relief Coroner Advocate Cyril Whelan formally recorded his finding that she had 'taken her own life while suffering low mood, anxiety and depression' on 5 May 2022.
Miss Borman was born in Jersey and moved to Guernsey as a young child where she attended St Mary and St Michael Primary School and the Guernsey Grammar School.
She moved back to Jersey in 2021, ahead of her GCSE studies commencing.
While she was described during yesterday's inquest in Jersey as being "very unhappy" in Guernsey she had not been in contact with any mental health services before calling Childline in March 2022. She was subsequently identified as being "high risk".
The inquest heard how Elizabeth had been "anxious and depressed for two years" before her death, with Jersey's Relief Coroner describing the loss of the "deeply troubled" teenage girl as "unspeakably sad".
Pictured: Elizabeth Emily Borman.
The inquest heard that an external report had offered "high praise" to Jersey professionals for their actions in an "excruciating set of circumstances".
The report – which was authored by Tim Richardson, the Head of Operations for Children and Young People's Mental Health in West Yorkshire – found a "number of examples of best practice".
Advocate Whelan told the inquest that the report had been produced to offer an "independent overview" into the care Elizabeth received in the months leading up to her death, explaining that "it is healthy and right to look outside the island for professional expertise" to "put everything under the microscope" in such circumstances.
Mr Richardson's 21-page report commended the "positive and respectful" engagements of mental health professionals with Elizabeth and her family, and "appropriate and proportional" decision making on the night of the teenager’s death.
There was particular praise for the emergency services who searched for Elizabeth on the night of her death.
The report found that, in the months leading up to her death, mental health services "were actively engaged with [Elizabeth’s] family" and "family needs were considered within good timescales".
It was noted that Elizabeth had been on a waiting list for psychological therapy at the time of death, with her first appointment due to take place on the day she died.
However, Mr Richardson concluded that this was "not a contributory factor in her death".
Although the report found nothing "that could be considered a root cause of Elizabeth’s death", Mr Richardson offered several recommendations for Jersey’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) including a review of the CAMHS on-call system and "working relationships with other partners".
Pictured: Elizabeth and Natalia Borman.
At the end of the inquest, Elizabeth’s mother, Natalia Borman, paid tribute to her daughter as a "lovely girl" who was "very warm" and "clever" with a "great sense of humour".
"I loved her very much," she told the inquest. "I was trying to do everything to help her."
In May this year, Mrs Borman organised ‘Walks of Hope’ in both Jersey and Guernsey to mark one year since her daughter’s death and raise awareness of growing mental health issues in young people.
The walks raised money for Mind Jersey's Youthful Minds project and the Youth Commission in Guernsey.
Hope fuelled walk for teen's mum and friends
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