From Kerry herself;

Using the downloaded template from PTUK, I sent our newly elected Labour MP, Mohammad Yasin, MP for Bedford & Kempston, an email. This led to a meeting where I was able to explain what is involved in training to be a therapist and how play therapists could work within schools. He then posted this on social media.

I recently followed the meeting up, to ask if Mohammad Yasin MP, could submit a parliamentary question on my behalf:

“Could you provide an update on the timeline and process for implementing mental health professionals in every school?” Many children in my constituency are in need of mental health support already and funding and access are very difficult to find to enable them to receive the help they need.
I received this reply within 24 hours!

Good afternoon
Thank you for your recent email. Mr. Yasin has tabled a written question on your behalf and this office will advise when a response is forthcoming.
Yours sincerely,

I had delayed reaching out because I anticipated it would be a lengthy process, but I was pleasantly surprised by how straightforward it was. Additionally, it generated far more interest than I had expected!
It was so easy to get involved at local level, I hope this is an encouragement for others that writing to our MPs can make a real difference.

Kind regards,
Kerry

Focus on the needs of children. Children’s voices must be heard and their dignity and human rights upheld. Within school, the curriculum must embed within it an understanding of emotional well being, the principles of good mental health and the certainty of therapeutic help for those children who need it.

Protect children. Any individual who works therapeutically with children must be registered through an independent government-approved agency such as the Professional Authority’s Accredited Register programme or the Health and Care Professions Council. Children are currently insufficiently protected because too many unqualified and unsupervised people are practising

Invest in a properly qualified workforce. Level 7 postgraduate training is essential and the main obstacle to a properly trained workforce is the lack of financial support. Accessible, high-quality and recovery-focused mental health services require personnel whose appropriate training is not solely dependent upon their own financial resources. All professionals (including teachers) who work with children must be trained in mental health awareness.

Ensure policy is informed by the best available and appropriate evidence and adequately funded. Practice-based evidence uses continuous measurements obtained from real life practice and should inform an ‘evidence base’ for working therapeutically with children

Focus on the needs of parents and carers. There must be high quality support for parents and carers to help them to better understand and support their child with schools promoted as effective, familiar, accessible and empathetic service delivery channels.

Make policies work. ‘Joined up working’ would prioritise appropriate data–sharing between all agencies concerned with child welfare. The responsibility for children’s mental health would encompass all relevant Departments in addition to the Department for Health and Social Care.