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Mental Health Support Educational Settings 2025-03-13
13 March 2025
Lead MP
Chris Bloore
Debate Type
General Debate
Tags
NHS
Other Contributors: 19
At a Glance
Chris Bloore raised concerns about mental health support educational settings 2025-03-13 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
Chris Bloore opened the debate by emphasising the critical importance of mental health support for young people, highlighting challenges such as social media issues, the pandemic, and cost-of-living crises. He cited statistics showing that one in five children and young people aged eight to 25 had a probable mental disorder in 2023. He also mentioned increasing referrals and long waiting lists for mental health services, with some children waiting up to two years for appointments. Bloore stressed the need for parity between mental and physical health support and highlighted the importance of addressing both simultaneously.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Jim Shannon intervened, supporting Chris Bloore's points by discussing statistics showing lower levels of general wellbeing among disabled pupils in Northern Ireland. He suggested that access to pastoral care teams equipped and trained to help those with disabilities could address this issue.
Anna Dixon
Lab
Shipley
Anna Dixon intervened, agreeing with Bloore's points about the importance of mental health support for children and young people. She highlighted concerns from her constituents in Shipley about long waiting times for NHS appointments, impacting their ability to participate fully in school activities.
Chris Vince
Lab/Co-op
Harlow
Chris Vince intervened, agreeing with Bloore's view that there is a connection between mental and physical health. He emphasised the impact of poor physical health on mental health and vice versa among young people.
Winchester
Dr Danny Chambers asked how increased mental health care could be afforded, to which Bloore responded that timely support is actually cost-effective in the long term. He argued for early prevention and intervention as a necessity.
Liz Twist
Lab
Blaydon and Consett
Liz Twist paid tribute to the 3 Dads Walking initiative, emphasising its role in keeping mental health issues on the agenda and combating the misconception that discussing suicide can increase its likelihood.
Anna Dixon
Lab
Southport
Supports the view that schools are at the forefront of the mental health crisis facing children. Visited a local primary school where staff help young people talk about their mental health issues. Stressed the importance of adequate resources for schools to provide such support.
Chris Bloore
Con
Redditch
Emphasised that 78% of all staff and 84% of senior leaders are stressed in education settings, which hinders their ability to do high-quality work. Advocated for a whole-of-Government approach addressing housing issues, family difficulties, healthcare access problems, and bullying prevention.
Siân Berry
Green
Brighton Pavilion
Praised the campaign in Brighton and Hove which secured funding for counselling capacity in local schools. Welcomed Government pledges to introduce mental health professionals in every school and hoped for real investment in a national school counselling programme.
Helen Hayes
Lab
Dulwich and West Norwood
Stressed the foundational nature of good mental health and wellbeing. Acknowledged that challenges with mental health affect all aspects of life, from personal relationships to work performance. Emphasised the importance of addressing these issues early.
John Milne
LD
Horsham
The hon. Member for Horsham emphasised financial pressures impacting CAMHS funding, noting a 15% mandated reduction in Sussex despite modest fee increases. He highlighted rising demand and adverse effects on waiting times since the pandemic, urging for central Government intervention to address an unfit-for-purpose system that is damaging children's futures.
Sojan Joseph
Lab
Ashford
The hon. Member for Ashford stressed the need for early mental health intervention, citing record high CAMHS referrals and examples of young people whose lives could have been transformed with timely support. He called for more community-based mental health services like Young Futures hubs to ensure children receive necessary help.
Leigh Ingham
Lab
Stafford
The hon. Member for Stafford shared a real-life example of a young woman who had left education due to lack of support, underscoring the need for early intervention in schools to prevent crisis.
Dan Aldridge
Lab
Weston-super-Mare
Highlights the urgent need for action on mental health in education settings, citing statistics indicating that one in eight UK children live with a mental health condition. Supports funding for mental health support teams but calls for expansion to reach all schools and students.
Amanda Hack
Lab
North West Leicestershire
Emphasises the importance of early intervention and peer-to-peer discussions about mental health in educational settings. Stresses the impact of the global pandemic on young people's mental health, noting that 60% of UK children aged 11-16 have received negative comments about their appearance.
Leigh Ingham
Lab
Stafford
Draws attention to younger and younger children experiencing mental health issues due to social media access, highlighting the need for early intervention and resilience-building in young people.
Chris Bloore
Con
Redditch
Stresses the need to prioritise early intervention in schools and calls for full-time mental health practitioners in every primary and secondary school. Expresses frustration over current implementation of mental health support teams, noting that only 44% of children have access and many receive inadequate time with MHSTs.
Caroline Johnson
Con
Sleaford and North Hykeham
Acknowledges rising rates of probable mental health disorders among children and young people. Discusses university students' increased anxiety during the pandemic, highlighting sevenfold increase in mental health conditions since a decade ago. Questions Minister on steps taken to support university-bound individuals with existing or emerging mental health issues.
Siân Berry
Green
Brighton Pavilion
The hon. Member questioned the Minister about the level of resource expected for mental health support in every school, suggesting that the current commitment falls short compared to having properly qualified counsellors available on-site.
In conclusion, Chris Bloore thanked the Minister and acknowledged various contributions made by Members from different constituencies regarding mental health support in educational settings. He highlighted the importance of early intervention and cross-Government working to address this issue effectively.
Government Response
We will certainly look at those proposals and at all the work the Education Committee does to support the most vulnerable children in society. The Minister reaffirmed the Government's commitment to providing dedicated mental health support in every school, stating that they are currently working through the details and will announce further information in spring. He also addressed several questions raised by Members, including funding for local authorities' public health responsibilities.
Shadow Response
None
Shadow Response
Congratulates Chris Bloore on securing the debate, emphasising the importance of continued discussions on children's mental health. Cites OECD evidence indicating that UK students have the lowest reported wellbeing in Western Europe.
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Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
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