Children and Young People's Mental Health

The Education and Health and Social Care Committees have jointly launched an inquiry into the mental health of children and young people. This inquiry will examine mental health support and services provided in education and community settings, available to children and young people up to the age of 25. The Committees wish to understand how this provision is integrated with specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), acute and other statutory NHS services. The Committees will shortly launch a survey to gather anonymised personal experiences from individuals. People who wish to share their own experiences may therefore prefer to wait to do so via this route rather than through a written submission. Information about the survey will be posted here. The Committees hope to specifically explore the relationship between children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, the support that is available to them and how well they are able to thrive and succeed in education. This is important for all children and young people, but there are particular groups for whom it is critical, including children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), care experienced children and young people and others who have suffered adverse childhood experiences. We will examine these issues in relation to education settings from the early years to further and higher education. In carrying out this work, the Committees will consider the Government’s commitment to expand Mental Health Support Teams to 100% of schools in England by 2029/30. They will also take account of forthcoming initiatives such as the establishment of a network of Young Futures Hubs and Best Start Family Hubs, to ensure a comprehensive and up‑to‑date understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the system. The Committees will also consider how far there is sufficient alignment between recent government strategies and reviews, including but not limited to the 10 Year Health Plan, the Best Start for Life Strategy, SEND reform, the Review into mental health, ADHD and autism services and the National Youth Strategy, education and NHS workforce plans. The Committees are accepting written evidence submissions until 27 March 2026 (by 23:59pm). Safeguarding and support If you have immediate concerns about yourself or someone else, you should contact 999. In addition to your GP, the following organisations may be able to offer support or further information: Childline – If you’re under 19 you can confidentially call, chat online or email about any problem big or small. Call 0800 11 11 - 24 hours a day or chat to a cousellor via: 1-2-1 counsellor chat | Childline Shout – Free, confidential and 24/7 text messaging service for anyone in the UK who needs support text ‘Shout’ to 85258 Parents Helpline – Call the Young Minds Parents Helpine for free on 0808 802 5544 or chat with them online via: Parents Helpline | Mental Health Help for Your Child | YoungMinds Samaritans – Support and guidance for everyone. Call 116 123 - 24 hours a day every day or email jo@samaritans.org Mind – For information, advice, and support for anyone experiencing a mental health problem. Call: 0300 123 3393