LGA response to the DfE and DHSC Green Paper consultation 'Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision’

Every child deserves to look forward to a bright future. For that to be the reality, we must ensure practical steps are taken to create a society where good mental health is treated as just as important as good physical health.

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If we truly want to get the best for children and young people, we must take practical steps to create a society where good mental health is treated as just as important as good physical health. The consequences of not tackling poor mental health early can be lifelong.

We therefore welcome the Green Paper’s focus on earlier intervention with further investment and the emphasis on a whole school approach to providing early support for children and young people. We hope this will help children receive help as early as they need it and avoid escalation that is both costly and not as effective.

But, we believe the Green Paper doesn’t go far enough to resolve some of the real capacity challenges that children and young people are experiencing to get the vital care they need. With only an estimated quarter of the country‘s children benefitting from the four week timescale by the end of 2021/22 and promised funding dependent on future spending decisions, many children will still be left without access to treatment and current reforms may be at risk.

We encourage the Government to work closely with local areas and the LGA to address these issues and ensure that all young people can look forward to bright futures.