On 4 December 2017, the government released a green paper and an open consultation around “transforming children and young people’s mental health provision”(external link)
The green paper proposes plans which will have implications for how schools challenge poor mental health amongst children and young people. The paper proposes that in every school an individual be appointed as a “designated lead in mental health”, with a national training programme fully in place by 2025. These individuals will take the lead in helping young people in schools with mental health issues, providing support and advice to young people and staff, and teaching students about the warning signs associated with poor mental health.
Mental health leads will also have the power to make referrals to “specialist services” concerning poor mental health. The proposals also recommend that each school mental health lead be linked to wider support teams, forming a bridge between schools and the NHS which will “mean that schools and colleges will find it much easier to contact and work with mental health services”.
As part of the initiative, the government are also proposing to carry out further research around: the impact of the internet on mental health, particularly social media; how families can provide support to those suffering with mental health issues; and how mental health problems can be avoided in the future. Further work will also be carried out to see how mental health for 16 – 25 year olds can be improved.