Select committee: Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 15
Eighth Report - Children and young people’s mental health
Published 9 Dec 2021
Paragraph 86
Addressed to Department of Health and Social Care
Health and Social Care Committee Children and young people's mental health All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We have seen that Mental Health Support Teams, where they have been rolled out, are well-placed to facilitate early intervention for children and young people as part Children and young people’s mental health 57 of a whole school approach. They appear to have delivered positive outcomes for children and young people where they are up and running. We welcome the fact that under the current trajectory the commitment of 20% to 25% coverage will be delivered a year ahead of schedule and we welcome the commitment that the Government and NHS England & Improvement have shown to deliver this roll out. But reaching only around half of children by the end of this Parliament shows the original ambition is too low and it should be increased, at a minimum, to reaching two thirds of schools by the end of the Parliament if we are to reduce referrals for severe conditions by as much as needed.
From: Health and Social Care Committee, Eighth Report - Children and young people’s mental health (HC 17), paragraph 86, 9 December 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 18 March 2022 (deadline 9 February 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the Committee's report and says it has "considered the recommendations", with responses that accept some in part, accept a few in full, and are considering others.
- On a cabinet sub-committee (Recommendation 1), it accepts in part, saying "the portfolios of ministers and cabinet committees are the prerogative of the Prime Minister", and it retains a cross-government Ministerial group.
- On 100% access to specialist support (Recommendation 4), "the government is considering" it, adding that plans beyond current commitments "are contingent on future funding settlements".
- It agrees the gap between mental health surveys was too long and commits to "a comprehensive national survey every 7 years", with the next in 2024, rather than the Committee's 3-year cycle.
- It accepts the recommendation on expanding Independent Mental Health Advocates to informal patients, but says this is "subject to future funding decisions".