This is an extremely important week for everyone who wishes to ensure that children’s mental health comes to the very forefront of policy making.
Today, the Local Government Association (LGA) has issued its own briefing to mark the event including the key points below:
- Improving and maintaining good mental health is a key priority for councils. This is particularly important for children
- Through their children, family and public health responsibilities, councils are giving children high quality mental health support and would like to do MORE but are currently having to CUT vital early intervention work. Proper funding is vital
- Early intervention and prevention support work is essential for children. The LGA has published commissioned research into what is already being achieved through good local partnership working as well as putting the child and family at the heart of services https://www.local.gov.uk/supporting-good-mental-health
- The Government should strengthen the governance over how funding on children’s mental health services is spent and recognise the expertise of health and wellbeing boards locally
- Prevention and early intervention should be prioritised and funding provided to councils to allow them to work with schools to commission independent school-based counselling
It is good to know that the LGA is highlighting Children’s Mental Health Week. If YOUR local authority is also promoting it in any way, please let us know!
And please ask THEM to sign up as local authority to support our own Child Mental Health Charter.
Thank you!!
