Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 66
66
Accepted in Part
Lead cross-government assessment of pupil mental health and review current support provision by Autumn 2024.
Recommendation
Once again, we recommend that the Department leads a cross-government assessment of the scale of mental health difficulties amongst pupils and review the current provision of support available in schools and outside of them. The Government should conclude this review and report its findings by Autumn 2024. There then needs to be significant and well co-ordinated joint working across the Government and additional funding to ensure Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services provision is adequate to meet the needs of school age children, in line with the Department’s previous commitment to a 4-week waiting time for NHS mental health support for children. (Paragraph 262) Pupil behaviour
Government Response Summary
The government agrees on the need for cross-government work and commits to improving mental health support, including specialist professionals in every school, new Young Futures hubs, and recruiting 8,500 additional mental health workers. However, it does not commit to the Autumn 2024 review deadline or specific additional CAMHS funding to meet a 4-week waiting time.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
The government already collates a range of existing data from multiple sources to monitor mental health and wellbeing for children and young people in England and compares this to other countries. However, we agree with the need for cross-government work on this issue, which is why the DfE will continue to work closely with DHSC and others to coordinate our approach to promote and support the mental health and wellbeing of children. As an example of the data available, in 2017, NHSE (formerly NHS Digital) published the Mental Health of Children and Young People in England survey, which assessed the prevalence of mental health need amongst children aged 2-19. Four follow ups were also published, in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, to assess the impact of the pandemic on mental health need amongst children and young people. The government has set a bold new ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children in our history that it will deliver through its Missions ‘An NHS fit for the future’ and ‘Break down barriers to opportunity’. In particular, the government recognises that improving the mental health and wellbeing of children will be vital if we want them to achieve and thrive in schools, in families, and in communities. A key element of our approach will be improving mental health support for all children and young people. The government will work to ensure the right support is available to every young person that needs it, including providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, and putting in place new Young Futures hubs, including access to mental health support workers. The prevalence of mental health needs has grown significantly over the last decade; faster than growth in mental health workforce. The government will also recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across children and adult mental health services to reduce delays and provide faster treatment.