Mental Health Leaders Warn Half Of Students Are Losing Out On School Support

Nearly 30 mental health charities and organisations have written to the Government calling for more funding in mental health services in schools.

The letter, shared with PoliticsHome, coincides with Children's Mental Health Week and urges ministers to "commit to long-term, sustainable investment in school-based support" as a matter of priority.

Organised by Place2Be and signed by organisations including Mind, the NSPCC and Royal College of Psychiatrists, the letter says that the government's current plan to introduce mental health professionals in schools will only reach half of pupils by 2025, and that more must be done to tackle the growing children's mental health crisis in the UK.

Writing to Victoria Atkins, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the twenty eight organisations say: "Around half of mental health conditions develop by the age of 14, so supporting children early on is vital. Yet only 8 per cent of NHS mental health spending goes on children’s services.

"The Government’s school-based Mental Health Support Teams will only reach 50 per cent of pupils by 2025.

"Place2Be, alongside other leading organisations, has worked in schools and supported children for decades, providing them with a safe place to be themselves, where they can talk in confidence with a trusted, trained mental health professional.

"This equips them to manage their emotional challenges and feel connected. They are also more likely to stay in education.

"It is not just children who benefit. School-based mental health support relieves pressure on parents, school staff and the NHS and is proven to be cost-effective."

Other signatories include the Association of Mental Health Providers, SANE and Young Minds.

They have been backed by Robert