Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Not Addressed
Paragraph: 67
One of the largest barriers to increasing access to mental health provision for children and...
Recommendation
One of the largest barriers to increasing access to mental health provision for children and young people remains the size of the mental health workforce. We have seen that children and young people’s mental health practitioners face staff shortages, increasing demand and high levels of work-related stress which in turn leads to more part-time work and increased early retirement. We have already made recommendations to the Department on providing mental health and wellbeing support to NHS staff in our previous Report into workforce burnout and resilience in the NHS and Social Care. In particular, we are clear that: • Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) must be required to facilitate access to wellbeing support for NHS and social care workers across their systems, and that they are accountable for the accessibility and take-up of those services. (Workforce burnout and resilience in the NHS and Social Care, Second Report of Session 2021–2022, Paragraph 39); and • the level of resources allocated to mental health support for health and care staff must be maintained as and when the NHS and social care return to ‘business as usual’ after the pandemic; and that the adequacy of resources allocated to that support be monitored on a regular basis. (Workforce burnout and resilience in the NHS and Social Care, Second Report of Session 2021–2022, Paragraph 40).
Government response summary AI-generated
The government's response states it accepts the recommendation in part, then details initiatives to support schools in adopting whole-school approaches to mental wellbeing and providing training and resources for education staff. This response does not address the original recommendation concerning mental health workforce shortages and wellbeing support for NHS and social care staff.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
67
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government · verbatim extract
Not Addressed
58. The government is considering this recommendation. 59. We acknowledge that a lack of appropriate growth in the mental health workforce has led to negative impacts on staff workloads, burnout rates and morale, and that these issues have been further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. 60. The wellbeing and mental health of NHS staff continues to be a priority. Additional funding for FY 2021 to 2022 has been allocated for the national programme to support mental health and wellbeing of health and social care staff. This led to the creation of 40 mental health and wellbeing hubs for staff across England, the NHS Practitioner Health service for staff with complex needs and professional nurse advocacy training. 61. The staff mental health and wellbeing hubs are an ambitious programme, set up at pace amid the pandemic and delivered on top of existing commitments. They offer a rapid clinical assessment by a mental health professional, and local evidence-based mental health services and support where needed. Between February and December 2021, the hubs have been accessed over 47,000 times, including on an individual basis and through group support. 62. As well as attracting new people into roles, it is important that we also keep the workforce we already have. NHSEI are putting in place measures that support the retention of existing staff, as well as providing them with leaning opportunities to develop and upskill. 63. Through NHSEI ’s Looking after our people – retention programme, which launched last summer, we are supporting employers and managers to value, support and retain their staff, both clinical and non-clinical. This is achieved through a new employer portal of guidance and best practice and direct support for systems and organisations across each of the domains of the NHS People Promise. 64. The retention programme is also focussing on a generational perspective and is specifically supporting all staff in the early or later stages of their NHS career. 65. To support the wellbeing of social care workers, we have worked alongside the NHS and other organisations to provide a package of emotional, psychological and practical resources for the adult social care workforce. This package includes support helplines, guidance, bereavement resources and a bespoke package of support for registered managers. We are also working with the sector to ensure that wellbeing resources and best practice advice are streamlined and easier to navigate. 66. In September 2021 we announced a historic package of social care reform, which includes an investment of at least £500 million across 3 years to deliver training for staff, progression pathways and wellbeing and mental health support. This workforce package is an unprecedented investment that will support the development and wellbeing of the care workforce. It will enable a 5-fold increase in public spending on the skills and training of our care workers and registered managers.
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