Select committee: Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 19
Eighth Report - Children and young people’s mental health
Published 9 Dec 2021
Paragraph 92
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)
It is vital that the Department rolls out the training for Designated Senior Leads to all schools urgently with a commitment to completing the roll out before the end of the current Parliament. Moreover, given the worrying trends in self-harm and eating difficulties among children and young people, it is essential that this training includes sufficient training specifically for the early identification of self-harm and eating disorders as well as mild to moderate mental health problems generally. We expect a comprehensive update on work towards this ambition by the end of December 2021.
From: Health and Social Care Committee, Eighth Report - Children and young people’s mental health (HC 17), paragraph 92, 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".