Mental health

Child mental health support pledge looks in doubt

Presentation seen by Schools Week shows a key pledge was a third below target with just five months to go

Presentation seen by Schools Week shows a key pledge was a third below target with just five months to go

Exclusive

A flagship pledge to get more youngsters access to mental health services is behind schedule and looks set to be missed unless rates are quickly increased.

The NHS’s 2019 long-term plan promised that by March 2024, at least an additional 345,000 children and young people up to age 25 could access support through either NHS-funded mental health services or new school mental health support teams.

However, a presentation by NHS bosses, seen by Schools Week, shows only about 234,000 extra children were getting support in October – a gap of 111,000.

This was about a third below target, with just five months to go at the time.

The presentation from NHS bosses stated: “We are behind where we planned to be … significant challenges remain, so it’s job begun, not job done.”

The news comes in the same week that analysis found a 50 per cent rise in the number of children being referred to emergency mental healthcare services in just three years.

Both issues are heaping more pressure on schools, which are increasingly left to pick up the pieces of stretched wider services.

‘We don’t have the resources’

Caroline Barlow, headteacher at Heathfield Community College, said schools “simply don’t have resource available to provide what is needed for our young people and yet expectations only seem to increase.

From almost all stakeholders we hear ‘the school should do more’ – the NHS must feel the same.”

Caroline Barlow

The NHS presentation to the Local Government Association’s (LGA) children’s and young people’s board shows it aimed to provide support for, in total, 1,068,481 under 25s by March.

This figure includes the level of youngsters getting support in 2020 – when the policy was implemented – as well as the additional target. By October last year, the total number being supported was 957,251.

The presentation broke down progress towards the target by both under 17-year-olds and from 18 to under-25s.

While the young adults target had been exceeded on occasions in previous years, it has fallen behind schedule. However, the children’s target has consistently lagged behind since 2020 (see graph).

The NHS refused to comment this week on whether they had increased support or why it was behind target, but said it is treating “more young people than ever before”.

“The health service is expanding mental health services as quickly as possible within the current five-year funding arrangements to help meet increasing demand, with plans in place to ensure more than one in two pupils and learners in schools and colleges have access to an NHS mental health support team by spring 2025 – significantly ahead of the original target.”

A third of promised policies implemented

Like education, the NHS is dealing with high vacancy rates. Retention rates for the children and young people’s mental health workforce also fell to below 80 per cent in 2022, the presentation added.

Schools Week investigations have exposed how suicidal children were being turned away from overstretched child and adolescent mental health services, with schools instead told to “keep them safe”.

Only a third of the 135 promised children’s mental health policies since 2015 have been implemented, analysis by the Education Policy Institute think tank found. For eight of those, it was unclear if any action had been taken.

Barlow said schools understand the pressure on the NHS, but added that unmet needs “do not disappear and manifests how young people present in schools.

A vast amount of resource is needed to create a sense of belonging through trusted adults, or to address the issues of absence through school avoidance due to issues of mental health and anxiety.”

Andy Bell, chief executive for the Centre for Mental Health charity, said the NHS has achieved a “great deal” on expanding services, but called on the government to “invest in these essential services” to meet rising demand.

The Department for Health and Social Care was approached for comment.

Latest education roles from

IT Technician

IT Technician

Harris Academy Morden

Teacher of Geography

Teacher of Geography

Harris Academy Orpington

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Exams Assistant

Exams Assistant

Richmond and Hillcroft Adult & Community College

Lecturer Electrical Installation

Lecturer Electrical Installation

Solihull College and University Centre

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

It’s Education’s Time to Shine: Celebrate your Education Community in 2025!

The deadline is approaching to nominate a colleague, team, whole school or college for the 2025 Pearson National Teaching...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Navigating NPQ Funding Cuts: An Apprenticeship Success Story

Last year’s NPQ funding cuts meant that half of England’s teachers faced costs of up to £4,000 to complete...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Embedding Formative Assessment: not just a box-ticking exercise but something long-term and meaningful for all

Our EFA programme has been proven to help schools achieve better GCSE results, as evidenced by the EEF. Find...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Building capacity in family support to tackle low school attendance 

Persistent and severe school absence impacts children, families, and communities—especially in disadvantaged areas. School-Home Support’s Attendance Support and Development Programme...

SWAdvertorial

More from this theme

Mental health

Rise of the wellbeing sick day: Sign of a growing problem or healthier approach?

New data shows staff 'wellbeing' absences are rising, as a key report warned of 'disturbingly high' stress, anxiety and...

Freddie Whittaker
Mental health

Study: Access to school counselling would ‘pay for itself’ in 10 years

Counselling could help 'missing middle' of children who don't meet mental health treatment thresholds, Public First study says

Samantha Booth
Mental health

‘Stark gap’ between teacher and leader wellbeing

Survey finds teachers twice as likely as leaders to report feeling 'physically and mentally' unwell

Freddie Whittaker
Mental health

32,000 children wait at least 2 years for mental health treatment

Children's commissioner calls for early intervention as pupils wait 'significant portion of their young lives' for support

Freddie Whittaker

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *