Jun
28
Further Investment in Student Mental Health Services
Author: Chloe Smith, Updated: 28 June 2022 16:41
I know that moving to a new place is one of the most exciting parts of going to university but can create barriers for students in accessing mental health services. In the past, students may have suffered from delays in accessing mental health services due to residing in a new area.
I am pleased to hear that students are set to benefit from better join up of mental health services to prevent them falling through the gaps at university.
The new scheme will bring together university, NHS and mental health services to create regional partnerships which could include physical hubs that students can visit in-person. By joining up these services to better communicate, students can be supported in their mental health, enhancing the quality of their university experience and their likelihood of success in the future.
These changes are happening with the Government investing up to £3 million over the next academic year with the initiative set to help ease the pressure on the NHS and higher education providers, and goes as far to show that this Government has prioritised student mental health because they know how important it is for students to feel supported – good mental health can affect their studies, boosting attainment and outcomes and helping them towards their bright futures.
The Government are already accelerating the roll out of Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges and expanding community services for children and young people through £79 million of investment.
Investment in children and young people’s mental health services has grown faster than the overall budget for mental health to ensure they can access support as early as possible to prevent any problems deteriorating.
More widely, the government is investing at least £2.3 billion of extra funding a year to expand and transform mental health services by 2023/24 as part of the NHS Long Term Plan. On top of this, £500 million has also been provided in 2021/22 specifically to support those most impacted by the pandemic to address waiting times and expand the mental health workforce. This included £79 million for children’s mental health services last year, enabling around 22,500 more children and young people to access support in their communities, and across schools and colleges. The NHS children and young people’s mental health workforce has also grown 40% since 2019.
I understand just how important this extra support will mean for people attending university, and I am pleased to see this being delivered.
If constituents need to contact me on this matter, or any other issue, please do email me at chloe@chloesmith.org.uk or ring my constituency office on 01603 414756.
Chloe Smith