Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Paragraph: 67
One of the largest barriers to increasing access to mental health provision for children and...
Conclusion
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).
Paragraph Reference:
67
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
94. We accept this recommendation in part. 95. The department and the Department for Education are committed to supporting schools to adopt and deliver an integrated, whole-school approach to mental wellbeing, which is tailored to the needs of their pupils. 96. On 21 September 2021, the Department for Education, in partnership with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition published updated guidance on taking whole school and college approaches to mental wellbeing . [footnote 4] This guidance provides schools and colleges with further information on how to develop mental health and wellbeing practices that help support all their pupils. 97. Schools are not mandated to provide counselling services (in England), as it is important to ensure they have the freedom to decide what support to offer their pupils based on their particular needs. However, we recognise that school-based counselling can be an effective part of a whole-school approach. To further support schools that have decided that counselling support is appropriate for their pupils, the Department for Education has produced guidance on how to deliver high quality school-based counselling . In light of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department for Education has committed to updating this guidance to make sure it reflects the current context. This being updated with a view to publishing it in 2022. The updated guidance will include information on how schools can access digital or remote support for their students where appropriate. 98. We recognise that it is critical for education staff to have the tools and knowledge to be able to identify signs of potential mental health issues and respond effectively. That is why we have placed a real focus on providing training and support to schools and colleges to understand what children and young people are experiencing and how to support them. The Department for Education’s recent £15 million Wellbeing for Education Recovery and Return programmes have provided free expert training, support and resources for education staff dealing with children and young people experiencing additional pressures from COVID-19 – including anxiety and stress. 99. The Department for Education have also published a comprehensive lists of mental health and wellbeing resources for children and young people [footnote 6] – one aimed at education staff and the other for education settings to pass on to their students to enable them to access and seek support on a range of issues independently, including digitally, should they wish to.