There is a crisis in children and young people’s mental health. 1 in 6 children aged between 5 and 16 in England has a mental health condition, yet less than 1% of NHS funding is spent on children and young people’s mental health services.
As a result, children and young people are waiting too long to get the support they need, in some cases up to 2 years.
That’s why it’s so important that children have access to mental health support at their school, delivered by specially trained professionals.
Mental Health Support Teams work with schools to get support to children and young people struggling with their mental health before they reach crisis point. These specially trained professionals support teachers to know how to better meet the needs of children with mental health issues. And they help to ensure schools focus on wellbeing as a key part of good education.
The Government has funded support for up to one in three (36%) schools but under current plans, by 2023, 6.5 million children experiencing poor mental health will still have no access to help at school. That’s why we are calling on the new Health Secretary and Education Secretary to commit to rolling out Mental Health Support Teams to every school and college in England.
