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Training for school mental health leads ‘shelved before pandemic’, MPs told

2 mins read Health Coronavirus Mental health
The children’s commissioner for England has called for a boost to mental health support in schools after it emerged planned specialist training for teachers had been halted before the pandemic.
Mental health support in schools is set to be expanded. Picture: Adobe Stock
Mental health support in schools is set to be expanded. Picture: Adobe Stock

The training of teachers to become senior mental health leads in schools was first mooted in the government’s 2017 green paper on transforming young people’s mental health provision.

The paper said ministers aimed to see a quarter of schools with mental health leads by 2023.

However, at an evidence session with the government’s health and social care committee, Emma Thomas, chief executive of children’s mental health charity YoungMinds said the training of such teachers had not yet started, adding that the tender was paused in January last year, before the pandemic hit.

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