Responding to the Government's consultation response to the children and young people's mental health green paper, Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:
“Measures to tackle the crisis in children and young people’s mental health are long overdue and we are pleased the Government is taking steps to address this.
“However we remain concerned that the Green Paper doesn’t go far enough to tackle the challenges children and young people are experiencing to get the vital care they need. With only an estimated fifth to a quarter of the country’s children benefitting from the Government’s proposed scheme by 2022/23, this risks leaving many young people without vital support.
"We need to develop a system that says yes to all children and young people, rather than no, when they ask for help. Children and their families need help and support right now - depression, anxiety, bereavement, and family crises do not wait.
“As a starting point, we want to see councils and schools given the funding to offer independent mental health counselling so pupils have access to support as and when they need it.
“Government also needs to work with the LGA and councils to make sure this is a local area-led approach, rather than just NHS.”
Bright Futures
Helping children and young people to fulfil their potential is a key ambition of all councils, but the local services that can support them to do so are under increasing pressure.
Bright Futures is our call to properly fund the services that change children’s lives.