￡79 million to boost mental health support for children + young people, Chancellor presents budget to parliament, Covid - 19: Recent and upcomings.
Adrian Tuitt
Inspirational Speaker | Mental Health Advocate | Expert in Wellness & Resilience for Students and Adults | Empowering Minds through Transformative Talks & Interventions ??
Now things seem much clearer, we can finally start to plan our year. 2021 has been a tough start, but together we can turn this around. We are all aware schools are opening today, so it's time to get our brains active and fitness in check, as summer will no doubt be right around the corner before we know it.
￡79 million to boost mental health support for children and young people
Young people have been uniquely impacted by the pandemic and lockdown, with NHS research suggesting 1 in 6 may now have a mental health problem, up from 1 in 9 in 2017.
The number of mental health support teams in schools and colleges will grow from 59 to 400 by April 2023, supporting nearly 3 million children. Mental health support teams work in a variety of ways, including enabling children to text their local mental health support team, with a health professional responding within an hour during the school day offering them advice, or providing families with tips on how to spot that the children and young people are struggling with their mental health.
- Nearly 3 million children in England to be supported by mental health support teams in schools
- Around 22,500 more children and young people to access community mental health services
- 2,000 more children and young people to access eating disorder services
The teams also help staff within schools and colleges to provide a ‘whole school approach’ to mental health and wellbeing through training sessions for parents or workshops for teachers.
Throughout the pandemic, these teams have continued to work virtually, providing vital support for young people during lockdown. Schools have hailed their success in supporting both students and staff.
In Kent, teams have provided 20-minute telephone counselling sessions for parents struggling with the competing demands of life under lockdown, alongside virtual drop-in sessions for school staff on how to support children with their mental health.
Access to community mental health services will also be expanded, giving 22,500 more children and young people access to help and support by 2021 to 2022 – including talking therapies and cognitive behavioural therapy.
This accelerates the commitment to expand services as part of the NHS Long Term Plan, which will see an additional 345,000 more children and young people access mental health services by 2024.
As we near step one of the roadmap, with schools returning from Monday, the government has expanded the support available to children and young people who may be suffering from poor mental health as a result of, or exacerbated by, the pandemic.
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:
Over the last year great focus has rightly been placed on our physical health, but I am incredibly conscious of the impact the pandemic has had on people’s mental health and wellbeing.
Children and young people have been particularly impacted by disruption to their routine, education and social lives and I am committed to doing all I can to ensure mental health support is there for those who need it.
Our response to this global pandemic will not only treat the public health threat of coronavirus but ensure our clinicians have the resources to respond to the long-term impact on people’s mental health, to provide support to everyone in their hour of need.
Read the full press release:
The Chancellor of the Exchequer presented his Budget to Parliament on Wednesday 3 March 2021.
In a Budget which ‘meets the moment’, the Chancellor has today (3 March) set out a ￡65 billion three-point plan to provide support for jobs and businesses as we emerge from the pandemic and forge a path to recovery.
Chancellor’s three-point plan to protect jobs and strengthen public finances
- billions to support businesses and families through the pandemic
- investment-led recovery as UK emerges from lockdown
- future changes to strengthen public finances
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said his immediate priority continues to be supporting those hardest hit, with extensions to furlough, self-employed support, business grants, loans and VAT cuts – bringing total fiscal support to over ￡407 billion.
He also set out plans to drive jobs, growth and investment to help the economy rebound - and spoke honestly about the tough choices required to put the public finances on a more sustainable path.
Delivering the budget in Parliament Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said:
This Budget meets the moment with a three-part plan to protect the jobs and livelihoods of the British people.
First, we will continue doing whatever it takes to support the British people and businesses through this moment of crisis.
Second, once we are on the way to recovery, we will need to begin fixing the public finances – and I want to be honest today about our plans to do that.
And, third, in today’s Budget we begin the work of building our future economy.
Read the full report here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/budget-2021-sets-path-for-recovery
Covid - 19: Recent and upcoming changes
8 March
You must complete a travel declaration form if you are travelling abroad from England. You must state the reason for your travel on the form.
Step 1 of the roadmap out of lockdown begins.
In England, all pupils return to school and students return to Further Education. Some students on practical courses will return to university. After-school clubs and breakfast clubs begin again.
Outdoor recreation or exercise with your household or 1 other person is allowed.
Find out more about the roadmap out of lockdown.
3 March
The furlough scheme and support grants for self-employed people are being extended until September.
Find out more about coronavirus-related changes in this year’s Budget.
Find out more here:
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
If you haven't already, you can read my last article here:
Covid: When will schools reopen? Decent' mental health service for children is a decade away, Child’s mental health symptoms.
https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/covid-when-schools-reopen-decent-mental-health-service-adrian-tuitt/
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Stay positive, stay focused, stay active!
The time is now!
Adrian Tuitt
Motivational Speaker, Youth Mentor and Sports Coach.