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<p>We know that the COVID-19 outbreak and the associated measures and restrictions,
such as social distancing and school closures, will be impacting on the mental wellbeing
of many people, including children and young people. The government has made pupil
wellbeing and mental health a central part of our response to the COVID-19 outbreak,
and the support we have already put in place for schools will be critical during this
time.</p><p>We have ensured that schools have the flexibility to offer a place in
school as a vulnerable child to any pupils for whom being in school will help them
to manage their mental health or to access support more easily. Decisions will be
informed by the school’s experience of how pupils have been affected so far.</p><p>Schools
will also continue to offer pastoral support to pupils working remotely at home, informed
and supported by training and expert advice that we have made available, including
through the £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return scheme. Wellbeing for Education
Return is an initiative led by the Department for Education alongside the Department
for Health and Social Care, Health Education England, Public Health England and key
voluntary sector organisations. Wellbeing for Education Return has trained local experts
to provide additional advice and resources for schools and further education (FE)
providers to help support the wellbeing, resilience and recovery of pupils, students,
parents and carers and staff in light of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 outbreak
and lockdown.</p><p>Slough Borough Council received Wellbeing for Education Return
funding of £22,850 on 30 September 2020 to fund local mental health experts in the
2020-21 financial year. Across the whole of England, over 85% of local authority areas
reported that they are delivering additional training and support into local schools
and FE providers because of the Wellbeing for Education Return funding.</p><p>Nationally,
our information indicates that more than 15,000 education settings are being offered
this additional training and support. The information and support made available through
Wellbeing for Education Return is relevant to remote provision as well as to those
attending school.</p><p>Schools should make sure that parents and pupils know who
to contact if they have new concerns about mental health and wellbeing, and that they
understand what pastoral support is available. This is backed up by guidance that
the department has issued for schools, which includes information and sources of further
advice on supporting mental health and wellbeing: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak</a>.</p><p>We
have also put in place a £1 billion COVID-19 catch-up package, with £650 million shared
across early years, schools and 16-19 providers over the 2020-21 academic year to
support education settings to put the right catch-up and pastoral support in place.
The Education Endowment Foundation have published a COVID-19 support guide to support
schools to direct this funding, which includes further information about interventions
to support pupils’ mental health and wellbeing.</p><p>Whole-school approaches will
include the new requirement for schools to teach about mental wellbeing as part of
relationship, sex and health education (RSHE). The department is committed to supporting
all schools in their preparations to teach RSHE, and has developed an online service
featuring innovative training materials and an implementation guide. This support
will cover all of the teaching requirements in the statutory guidance and will be
inclusive of all pupils. We prioritised the production of the training module covering
mental wellbeing, so that it was available before the end of the summer term last
year: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-mental-wellbeing" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-mental-wellbeing</a>.</p><p>To
expand access to mental health support for children and young people with emerging
mental health issues, we have committed to establishing new Mental Health Support
Teams (MHST) in 20% to 25% of the country by 2023, as part of the additional support
for children and young people’s mental health in the NHS Long Term Plan. MHSTs have
been created to strengthen existing mental health support in education settings and
to provide early intervention on mild to moderate challenges to mental health as well
as helping staff within a school or college setting to provide a whole-school approach
to mental health and wellbeing. Where already established, MHSTs are adapting their
services to continue supporting children and young people remotely during the COVID-19
outbreak.</p><p>For those that need specialist support, the government continues to
invest in and prioritise mental health. The NHS will receive around an additional
£500 million this year to address waiting times for mental health services, give more
people the mental health support they need and invest in the NHS workforce. The department
will also be convening a task force to look at the effects on children, young people
and staff in the education system and we will confirm the next steps as soon as possible.</p>
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