Recommendation 3

HM Government Acknowledged

28. The government is considering this recommendation. 29. NHSEI has published [footnote 1] details of the MHSTs being rolled out, up to and including the teams commissioned during FY 2021 to 2022. 30. Over 180 teams are currently operational, meaning they have completed their training and set-up process. These teams cover around 3,000 schools and colleges covering 15% of pupils in England. 31. In FY 2021 to 2022, 104 more teams were commissioned. NHSEI estimates that, when these teams become operational in 2022, MHSTs will cover between 20 and 25% of pupils, delivering a year earlier than planned the commitments the government made in its response to ‘Transforming children and young people’s mental health: a green paper’. This is partly due to the additional £79 million funding announced by the department in March 2021. 32. A further 112 MHSTs commenced training during FY 2021 to 2022. This means there are in total 399 confirmed MHSTs so far. NHSEI estimates that when all 399 are operational in 2023 they will cover almost 3 million pupils, or around 35% of pupils. 33. We anticipate further waves of MHSTs will be commissioned during FY 2022 to 2023, which would ultimately see the coverage increase further. The number of teams is, however, subject to confirmation. 34. The rollout of further MHSTs beyond FY 2022 to 2023 is contingent on future funding settlements. 35. The department is currently working with other government departments, stakeholders and the VCSE sector to better understand the role that community support hubs and early support hubs might play in supporting children and young people’s mental wellbeing. 36. However, we do not currently have ring-fenced, national funding for the roll-out of early support hubs. 37. Clinical commissioning groups and local authorities work with local partners to understand local needs and commission services on that basis. This means that local areas are able to design and fund a ‘hub’ model if they think it would meet local need. 38. The department recognises the role that digital support can play in supporting children and young people’s mental health. Though NHS mental health services remained open throughout the pandemic, children and young people’s services also deployed digital tools to connect with people and provide ongoing support. However, digital delivery is not always appropriate and it is important to retain the option for children and young people to use face-to-face mental health services. 39. Through the Every Mind Matters campaign, the government is raising awareness of the guidance and tools that are available to support children and young people’s mental wellbeing, and to ensure that those who need urgent support are directed towards appropriate services. 40. Equally, the government is aware of evidence that most vulnerable groups may be not able to benefit from adoption of digital technologies for contact with their health services. Throughout the pandemic, NHSEI has been requesting providers and local systems to keep mental health services running and accessible and to keep continuity of care throughout the biggest peaks of the pandemic. Use of digital was recommended only if appropriate for the given patient. In the latest wave – the Omicron variant – NHSEI has specifically called on providers and systems to keep providing face-to-face services wherever possible, supporting the most vulnerable patients to stay safe and well in the community.