Training for mental health leads in schools and colleges launches
Neil Puffett
Monday, May 10, 2021
Up to 7,800 schools and colleges in England will be offered funding to train a senior mental health lead from their staff from September, the government has announced.
A five-year project to train mental health leads in all schools had been due to begin in the 2019/20 academic year, but in March it emerged that the initiative had been paused.
The Department for Education has said that schools and colleges in England will be offered a share of £9.5m to train a senior mental health lead from their staff in the next academic year (2021/22). It added that it still intends to deliver on its commitment to offering this training to all state schools and colleges by 2025.
Meanwhile, £7m will be provided for a Wellbeing for Education Recovery programme, which will provide free expert training, support and resources for staff dealing with children and young people experiencing additional pressures as a result of the Covid pandemic – including trauma, anxiety, or grief.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “I know how difficult the pandemic has been for many children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, and the next few months will be crucial in supporting their recovery.
"Getting back into the classroom was a vital step in this process but success in school and college goes beyond an excellent education – as parents we want our children to feel settled, calm and happy while they learn.
“That’s why we’re providing new funding to make experts available for support, advice and early intervention or specialist help, so every young person knows who and where to turn to as we build back better after the pandemic.”
Teresa Heritage, vice chairman of the Local Government Association’s children and young people board, said the funding is a positive step to help address mental health problems, which have been exacerbated during the pandemic.
“Local councils and schools have a vital role in helping children have mentally healthy childhoods and mental health needs to be at the heart of a holistic approach to overall health and wellbeing, which includes school-based support and investment in community-based services, such as youth services.
“Supporting children early on to reduce the need for clinical interventions means more can receive help when they need it, rather than waiting until they are unwell. It is vital that effective and evidence-based mental health and wellbeing services and statutory mental health services for children are able to meet existing, new and unmet demand that has built up during the pandemic.”
Mental health leads can play such an important role in creating the whole school approach at school. Many of us have been calling for more funding to increase their numbers. Pleased to see the government has put forward the funding for 7,800 new MH leads to be trained!
— Dr Alex (@DrAlexGeorge) May 10, 2021
Results of a survey by commissioned by BBC Children in Need, published today (10 May) to coincide with the start of Mental Health Awareness Week, found that children and young people across the UK are facing short, medium and long-term impacts on their mental health and emotional wellbeing, as a result of the pandemic.
More than two-thirds (68 per cent) of children and young people aged between 11 and 18 believe that young people’s mental health in general has got worse as a result of the pandemic, with one in three (34 per cent) not feeling comfortable to ask for help if they needed it.
