DfE announces national mental health programme between schools and NHS
The DfE has announced investment of £9.3 million in a training scheme to support pupils struggling with mental health. The scheme will focused on a joined up approach to care and support across schools, colleges and specialist NHS services.
With 1 in 10 young people under 16 diagnosed with a mental health condition and 20% of adolescents experiencing a mental health problem in any given year (mentalhealth.org.uk) there have been a number of calls for the government to provide more support for schools in dealing with mental health issues.
The four-year scheme will be led by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families and will build on the work of the pilot stage of the programme, launched in 2015.
Schools, colleges and alternative providers will be offered training through a series of workshops as part of the Link Programme, with school based members of staff taking part in training alongside mental health specialists. The aim is to improve partnerships with NHS mental health services, raise awareness of mental health concerns and improve referrals to specialist help when needed.
The training will be rolled out to schools and colleges from September, in phases over four years, and will deliver just under 1,000 training sessions across England encouraging collaborative work so children do not fall between the cracks or experience poor transition between services.
The Government announced today that 124 new Mental Health Support Teams will be created in 48 areas across the country.
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