Commenting on the announcement by Bridget Phillipson of an increase to school mental health support, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“We agree with the Education Secretary that prioritising mental health really matters. The previous Government rolled out the Mental Health Support Teams far too slowly so today’s announcement about boosting the investment for young people and mental health support is welcome.
“We were pleased to hear the Secretary of State recognises the pressure schools are under with so many families asking for support and referrals. Intervening early with the right support must be our goal and can prevent issues becoming more complex including around attendance and spiralling anxiety.
“Investment in reducing waiting times for CAMHS and speech and language specialists is a real source of concern across our school system. Health and education departments in Westminster must work together to get those waiting lists down fast.
“School staff are also desperate to see Government tackle the social issues such as poverty and social disadvantage that make life chances so unequal”.