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<p>Mental health and wellbeing are a priority for the government. Throughout the COVID-19
outbreak, we have prioritised keeping schools open above all else, as long as it was
safe to do so, because it is so vital for children and young people’s wellbeing, as
well as their education.</p><p>We are working across government to understand the
data and evidence on mental health support, as it emerges. Public Health England is
publishing surveillance reports on the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on children
and young people’s mental health. More information is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-mental-health-and-wellbeing-surveillance-report/7-children-and-young-people"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-mental-health-and-wellbeing-surveillance-report/7-children-and-young-people</a>.</p><p>We
do not make local estimates of need. Nationally, in July 2020, our updated NHS mental
health survey suggested that the proportion of 5-16s with a ‘probable diagnosable
mental health [issue]’ had risen to 1 in 6 (from 1 in 9 in 2017) with an increase
seen in both boys and girls and across age groups.</p><p>The support needs that these
children will have will vary from case to case. We are taking action to increase specialist
support and to support schools to understand and respond to need. This includes a
£79 million boost to children and young people’s mental health support which we announced
in March and will increase the number of Mental Health Support Teams in schools and
colleges to around 400, covering approximately 35% of pupils in England by 2023.</p><p>We
have put in place a wide range of training and guidance to help schools and colleges
to understand the issues and how to respond effectively, including when to seek specialist
support. We have invested £7 million into our Wellbeing for Education Recovery programme,
enabling local authorities to continue supporting schools and colleges until the autumn,
as they rethink their curriculum and pastoral care provision to meet ongoing mental
health wellbeing needs. Backed by £9.5 million, from the autumn, we will be offering
7,800 schools and colleges in England grants to train a senior mental health lead
in their setting. The training will equip senior mental health leads with the knowledge
and skills to implement effective processes for identifying students, or specific
groups, who need additional mental health support.</p>
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