Taking a Stand for Mental Health

These last few years have been tough and there was already a children's mental health crisis before the pandemic.

The Conservatives left the severe mental health crisis unchecked before, during and after the pandemic. The number of children with probable mental health disorders rose from one in nine in 2017, to one in six children in 2021.

People are struggling. And when they turn for help, it is often not there. Problems that can start small, become crises as help is either not available, or arrives too late.

The majority of parents are concerned with their children’s mental health. But nearly a quarter of parents do not know where to turn for help with these problems.

No one should be stuck in the awful position of waiting months on end for mental health services.

Our Plan to Improve Mental Health Care

• Walk-In Centres for Young People - Role out community mental health hubs for children and young people in every area of the country, to provide early prevention and support.
   
• A Mental Health Practitioner in Every School - Provide dedicated, qualified mental health practitioners to every school and roll out a national wellbeing survey in secondary schools, along the lines of the ‘Bee Well’ pilot currently being run in Greater Manchester.
   
• Mental Health MOT - Check ups at key points in people’s lives when they are most vulnerable to mental ill-health.
   
• End Out of Area Placements - Increase capacity and coordination between mental health services so that no one is treated far from home.
   
• Expand Young People’s Mental Health Services Up to the Age of 25 - Rapidly expand effective and age-appropriate mental health support beyond the age of 18 so that all under 25 year olds are able to access mental health support when they need it.