Child of the North – led by the N8 Research Partnership and Health Equity North – and Centre for Young Lives have welcomed an announcement by the Education and Health Secretaries last week on mental health provision in schools.
The announcement of access to mental health support for almost a million more young people this year – and for all pupils by 2029/30 – follows calls for an increase in Mental Health Support Teams and other supportive measures in schools in reports published jointly by Child of the North and the Centre for Young Lives last year.
Responding to the announcement, Baroness Anne Longfield, Executive Chair of the Centre for Young Lives, said:
“It is welcome to see the Government recognise the important role that schools and colleges can play in supporting children and young people with mental health problems. Last year, Child of the North and Centre for Young Lives urged the incoming Government to expand the number of mental health support teams, so it is encouraging to see these recommendations acted on.
“Another million children will have access to help in schools, and it is vital this support is provided in every school in England as quickly as possible.
“As our previous research has shown, children and young people with mental health problems are more likely to be absent from school, and poor mental health significantly impacts on school attendance and outcomes.
“Reducing the prevalence of children’s mental health problems needs urgent attention and the important measures announced today are a positive step forward.”
Dr Ruth Wadman, Research Fellow for the Age of Wonder Adolescent Mental Health Collaboratory, and co-author of Child of the North/Centre for Young Lives’ report Improving mental health and wellbeing with and through educational settings, said:
“Government’s investment in children’s mental health is most welcome, as is the targeted support for the most vulnerable children. We urge the Government to ensure that this support is made available to all school-age children as soon as possible.
“The government’s investment is well supported by evidence as described in the Child of the North/Centre for Young Lives report – Improving mental health and wellbeing with and through education settings. This report urged government to expand mental health support within schools and support the development of ‘healthy mind environments’ to ensure young people achieve and thrive
“The report highlighted the pressing need to step up our efforts to prevent mental health conditions and to intervene early when they emerge. Our children and young people need good mental health and wellbeing to develop and flourish, and schools must play a key role in this endeavour.”
Professor Dan Birks of the University of Leeds, co-author of the Child of the North/Centre for Young Lives’ report An evidence-based plan for improving school attendance, said:
“We strongly welcome this proposal to support the mental wellbeing of young people in schools across the country through early identification and timely, targeted support.
“There is increasing evidence that school absence, suspension, and exclusion can increase the risk of a range of negative outcomes for young people – from disengagement from education, employment, and training, to future involvement in the criminal justice system.
“The Child of the North evidence-based plan for improving school attendance highlighted unmet mental health needs as one of several complex and interrelated factors contributing to rising levels of school disengagement. The report called for school absence to be recognised as a critical public health issue, and argued that only holistic, system-wide approaches can meaningfully address this growing crisis. The government’s investment is a welcome response to this evidence.”
All reports from the Child of the North and Centre for Young Lives series can be accessed here.