Written questions by Hinds.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2024 to Question 17083 on Mental Health Services: Schools, whether planned aspects of provision of access to a specialist mental health professional in every school go beyond the plan to introduce Mental Health Support Teams.

The Government has committed to expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) in schools and colleges to reach 100% coverage by 2029/30. As the programme matures, the Department of Health and Social Care will work with the Department for Education to consider if there are ways the MHST offer can be improved to better support children and young people.We also continue to work with the Department for Education to deliver our commitment of providing access to a specialist mental health professional in every school in England. We are also working across Government and with NHS England to set up a network of community Young Futures hubs.We are currently developing the 10-Year Health Plan with the public, staff, and patients. We continue to listen to emerging insights on children and young people’s mental health and are taking participants' concerns seriously. The consultation process has provided invaluable feedback, and we are in the process of exploring how we best take this forward.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to payroll costs from the Autumn Budget 2024 on self funders in social care.

Self-funder fee rates are set by providers of adult social care, the majority of which are in the independent sector. The Department does not have powers to set or recommend the level of self-funder fees that care homes charge. However, all businesses are required to comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by ensuring that they use fair and clear terms in their standard agreements with customers.

What estimate he has made of spending on mental health services for children and young people in each year for which data are available.

The following table shows actual spend on children and young people’s mental health by clinical commissioning groups and integrated care boards: Financial yearAmount (£ million)2017/18687.22018/19753.32019/20841.42020/21938.32021/22994.82022/231,087.702023/241,180.40 Source: NHS Mental Health Dashboard, NHS England

With reference to NHS England's statistics entitled Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2023 - wave 4 follow up to the 2017 survey, published on 21 November 2023, whether he plans to publish further updates to those statistics.

Although no decisions have yet been made to commission further waves, the Government recognises the importance of the Mental Health of Children and Young People in England Report. We will publish plans in due course.

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.

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.

Pursuant to the Answer of 29 Nov 2024 to Question 15640 on Mental Health Services: Schools, whether the plan to introduce access to a specialist mental health professional in every school differs from the plan to introduce Mental Health Support Teams.

The Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Department for Education to consider how to deliver our commitment of providing access to a specialist mental health professional in every school. We need to ensure that any support meets the needs of young people, teachers, parents, and carers. This includes considering the role of existing programmes of support with evidence of a positive impact, such as the Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges.

With reference to the oral contribution of 20 November 2024 by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention, Official Report, columns 347 and 348, what his timetable is for having a mental health professional in every school.

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, we will introduce access to a specialist mental health professional in every school, so that mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, can be identified early on and prevented from developing into more serious conditions in later life.The timescale is not yet agreed. We are currently working with colleagues at NHS England and the Department for Education to consider options to deliver this commitment.

Further to the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 764, when he plans to make a further announcement on the Children's Hospice Grant.

While 2023/24 marked the final year of the Children’s Hospice Grant in its previous format, in 2024/25, NHS England provided £25 million of funding for children and young people’s hospices, maintaining the level of funding from 2023/24. For the first time, this funding was distributed to hospices by integrated care boards (ICBs), on behalf of NHS England, rather than being centrally administered as before.The Department and NHS England are aware that the shift to ICB distributed funding in 2024/25 has not been as smooth a transition as we would have hoped. However, we are working closely with NHS England to resolve any remaining issues with the 2024/25 funding. Furthermore, I am working very closely with NHS England to get the funding arrangements for 2025/26 confirmed as a matter of urgency.

If he will revert to central grant funding from NHS England for children's hospices.

While 2023/24 marked the final year of the Children’s Hospice Grant in its previous format, in 2024/25, NHS England provided £25 million of funding for children and young people’s hospices, maintaining the level of funding from 2023/24. For the first time, this funding was distributed to hospices by integrated care boards (ICBs), on behalf of NHS England, rather than being centrally administered as before.The Department and NHS England are aware that the shift to ICB distributed funding in 2024/25 has not been as smooth a transition as we would have hoped. However, we are working closely with NHS England to resolve any remaining issues with the 2024/25 funding. Furthermore, I am working very closely with NHS England to get the funding arrangements for 2025/26 confirmed as a matter of urgency.

How many and what proportions of schools at each stage of education are served by Mental Health Support Teams.

The Department for Education publishes an annual analysis, with the most recent analysis available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision

How his plans for dedicated mental health professionals’ support for secondary schools relate to plans for mental health support teams for schools set out in the Green Paper for Transforming children and young people’s mental health, published in 2017.

The Department is working across the Government to deliver our commitment of a specialist mental health professional in every school. We need to ensure any support meets the needs of young people, teachers, parents, and carers which is why we are exploring a range of options. This includes existing programmes of support with evidence of a positive impact, such as Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges.

With reference to the NHS England web page entitled Mental health support in schools and colleges, what the roll-out schedule is for mental health support teams.

The Department is working with the Department for Education and NHS England to deliver our commitment of a specialist mental health professional in every school.

With reference to the NHS England web page entitled Mental health support in schools and colleges, what his policy is on the (a) number and (b) types of regions that will be covered by the roll-out of Mental Health Support Teams.

The Department is working with the Department for Education and NHS England to deliver our commitment of a specialist mental health professional in every school.