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Mental Health Services: Schools

Asked by Damian HindsConservativeDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 20 December 2024UIN 18868

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many mental health professionals the previous Government planned to be placed in schools in each of the next three academic years; and how many he plans to place in schools in the same period.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock

Nationally, there are, on average, 8,400 pupils or learners and 17 schools or colleges per mental health support team (MHST), up to and including waves seven and eight. There are 109 MHSTs that will become part of the programme in waves nine and 10, with education mental health practitioners who started training from autumn 2023 due to become operational in 2024/25. Assuming the average number of schools or colleges and pupils or learners per MHST remains constant, we estimate that, including waves nine and 10, coverage would increase to 54% of pupils or learners, and 42% of schools or colleges, by the end of 2024/25, specifically by March 2025.

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