Step by Step, a charity on the front line of supporting young people, comment on the Government’s proposals for youth mental health provision.
Mae Harris
Head of Foyers and Wellbeing Services at Step by StepThere is, without doubt, the need for urgent action to address youth mental health. Are the new Government’s plans to overhaul current youth mental health provision a step in the right direction?
At Step by Step, we see the need first-hand. Of the 1,400 young people we support each year, most have faced poor mental health. Our experience in delivering over 3,000 counselling sessions a year to children and young people across Hampshire and Surrey places us at the forefront of a complex and challenging issue. That’s why the Government’s plan on children’s mental health is so important to us.
Supporting Young People on Their Terms
We believe the plan presents a sensible and thorough approach. Particularly pleasing is the focus on early intervention. Evidence suggests that the earlier a young person can be supported, the better the young person will be equipped to manage in adulthood, to overcome childhood trauma and to build emotional stability and maturity.
At the plan’s core is the integration of specialist mental health support within schools, ensuring that children have access to care in a familiar environment. This initiative is complemented by the rollout of Young Futures hubs, which aim to provide preventative mental health support in every community.
With our Launch outreach service and online counselling, we see first-hand the impact of community support. Young people have told us that they feel more comfortable accessing support in an environment they feel safe and happy in, where it doesn’t take away time from friends and family, which we know is important for mental wellbeing. We have seen engagement and outcomes improve when young people are offered support in their chosen environment.
Resourcing the Plan
Labour’s plan includes the recruitment of 8,500 specially trained staff across Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and NHS talk therapies, and 40,000 planned care appointments. This is a significant commitment, which could have a real impact on reducing waiting times and improving service accessibility. Step by Step has increased its counselling capacity significantly, but this barely makes a dent in current waiting lists.
We welcome all additional resources and funding for counselling and youth mental health, and we hope to see the funds get passed from the Government to the NHS and then to the third-sector, who we see deliver exceptional mental health support to young people every day.
A Focus on General Wellbeing
We also support the aims for better dental hygiene, physical fitness and health, a ban on vapes and high-caffeinated energy drinks for children, as well as free breakfast clubs in all primary schools. We believe the Government’s focus on building a healthy generation will prove vital in the overall emotional health and wellbeing of children and their families.
A System in Need of Investment
As Step by Step work under NHS contracts, we appreciate the current strain on the system. The focus on early intervention should see fewer young people waiting for specialist support, while the plans to digitalise the NHS and offer more community support should improve efficiency and delivery to children and their families.
The plan intends that these initiatives will be funded through measures such as closing tax loopholes and abolishing tax breaks for private schools – showing a redirection of resources towards public health priorities. We understand that any increase on tax will have negative impacts on families and households, and this is therefore something we’d prefer to avoid. However, we know additional funding is needed for youth mental health and we are glad to see this prioritisation.
Final Thought
We hope the plan’s focus on early intervention and prevention sets a precedent for future mental health policies, aiming to create what Labour describes as “the healthiest generation of children ever”.
While very welcome, at least from a third-sector perspective, the success of this plan will entirely depend on its execution and the Government’s ability to sustain funding without compromising other essential services.
Find out more about Step by Step:
Website: www.stepbystep.org.uk
Social Return on Investment 2024: www.stepbystep.org.uk/media/downloads/step-by-step-social-return-on-investment-2024.pdf Our Plans 2024/25: www.stepbystep.org.uk/media/downloads/our-plans-for-2024-25.pdf
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