Select committee: Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 22
Eighth Report - Children and young people’s mental health
Published 9 Dec 2021
Paragraph 109
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 recommend that the Department of Health and Social Care fund and roll out open access models to every area across the country so that there is a consistent, comprehensive community offer to complement available school-based and clinical support across England. The hubs should also offer outreach support to vulnerable groups and should be integrated with specialist children and young people’s mental health services with a clear step down/step up relationship. National standards for the provision of support should be published so hubs adhere to clinical standards.
From: Health and Social Care Committee, Eighth Report - Children and young people’s mental health (HC 17), paragraph 109, 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".