Select committee: Health and Social Care Committee
Conclusion 18
Eighth Report - Children and young people’s mental health
Published 9 Dec 2021
Paragraph 91
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 ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
A whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing should include the promotion of good mental health as well as the early identification of those who are at risk of mental health difficulties. Designated Senior Leads for mental health can have an extremely important role in overseeing and leading this whole school approach but they need to be adequately trained, particularly in how to identify and intervene in emerging cases of mental health problems. Given the worrying signs that more children and young people are turning to self-harm as a coping mechanism and more are struggling with eating disorders, it is extremely concerning that training for Designated Senior Leads appears to have been paused and has not yet been rolled out four years after the Green Paper committed to do so.
From: Health and Social Care Committee, Eighth Report - Children and young people’s mental health (HC 17), paragraph 91, 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".