VCS grants scheme prioritises mental health services
Neil Puffett
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Mental health services have benefited to the tune of £4.9m as part of £25m of government grants announced today.
A total of 94 grants are being handed out under the Department for Education’s Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) grants scheme for 2015/16.
Organisations specialising in child mental health care will receive a total of £4.9m.
Mental health charity Mind will receive around £400,000 to create a pilot promoting positive mental health and wellbeing in schools.
It will raise pupils’ awareness of mental health issues and improve their access to information and support. It will enable effective early intervention, deliver targeted workshops and provide one-to-one guided self-help and support.
The money will also be spread between organisations specialising in adoption (£1.7m), children in care (£1.4m), early education and childcare (£5.3m), family advice and support (£1.8m), safeguarding (£3.3m) and special educational needs and disabilities (£5.9m).
Barnardo’s will receive more than £735,000 to increase awareness of child sexual exploitation among businesses and services working in the night-time economy and develop strategies to identify and protect children at risk at night.
The Diana Award will receive £450,000 to create 2,500 anti-bullying ambassadors and train 600 teachers and youth professionals around bullying. The organisation will also provide anti-bullying toolkits with a particular focus on cyber-bullying.
YoungMinds has received around £300,000 for it’s Parents Helpline service. The award will help part fund the helpline which supports more than 10,000 parents and carers a year.
Other awards include:
- £350,000 for the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (Pacey) to launch its Starting School Together project, which will help improve children’s transition from childcare into full-time compulsory education, focussing particularly on disadvantaged children, and children from BME communities.
- £204,000 for the Driver Youth Trust that will fund 3,500 school staff to access free training in dyslexia, specific learning difficulties and literacy difficulties.
- £5.9m for 26 projects that focus on helping children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Charities to benefit in clued Together for Short Lives, The British Dyslexia Association, and Nasen.
- £207,000 for London Leadership Strategy to support the development of a Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) Review, similar in scope and quality to the existing Pupil Premium review.
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said: “I’m delighted to give this injection of support to the voluntary sector, who offer life-changing services to children and their families.
“This was a highly competitive process and every bid given money today has shown that they will put the funds to great use.
“This is a significant investment in a tough financial climate which will make a real difference across the country.”