Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 23
23
Paragraph: 110
The social care sector is essential to the provision of mental health services to children...
Conclusion
The social care sector is essential to the provision of mental health services to children and young people and it is essential that it is funded to do so as part of the forthcoming social care white paper.
Paragraph Reference:
110
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
161. We accept this recommendation in part. 162. The government is accelerating the role out of MHSTs . 163. We agree that education settings can have an important role in prevention and early intervention. MHSTs , where established, are a key part of this. 164. MHSTs are one of the core proposals of Transforming children and young people’s mental health: a green paper. As detailed in our response to recommendation 3, we committed to implement MHSTs to 20 to 25% of England by the end of FY 2022 to 2023. 165. We are now accelerating role out of MHSTs . In March 2021 we announced an additional £79 million funding to support and expand children and young people’s mental health services, including MHSTs . 166. We are on track to have MHSTs covering 25% of the country by FY 2022 to 2023 – a year earlier than originally planned – and this will increase to around 400 teams, covering an estimated 3 million children and young people, by FY 2023 to 2024. 167. It is important when accelerating the roll-out of MHSTs , that we consider the workforce required to fill roles, and the training times needed for new posts such as education mental health practitioners. We have to balance ambitious targets with the finite resources of the NHS.