Schools to offer mental health support

MORE than a million children will be given access to mental health support in school as the NHS expands its services to help young people cope with the significant disruption caused by the pandemic.

Teams of experts are offering support to children experiencing anxiety and depression in a bid to prevent problems escalating into serious mental health issues that continue into adulthood.

NHS England says approximately 400 mental health support teams will be up and running across 3,000 schools in England and they will offer support to almost three million pupils by 2023.

The £79 million Government funding for children’s mental health services confirmed in March is being used to accelerate the rollout of mental health support teams in schools.

The funding is part of a £500 million package for mental health services across the board in England, which was unveiled in November as part of measures to recover from the coronavirus crisis.

Referrals to the mental health support teams - which offer children one-to-one and group therapy sessions, as well as training sessions for parents and workshops for school staff - can be made by teachers or GPs.

Sir Simon Stevens, chief executive of the NHS, said: “Coronavirus has taken its toll on us all, not least children who have been stuck at home unable to see their friends and without the routine of school life.

“So it’s an urgent necessity to expand services as we are doing, after what will have been for many a year of turmoil. Increasing investment in mental health services, particularly for children and young people, is a key part of the NHS Long Term Plan but we are now going even further and faster, because offering help and support early, before problems get worse, can sometimes prevent problems persisting into adulthood.”