Place2Be responds to Centre for Mental Health's latest research

Catherine Roche, Chief Executive of Place2Be, has responded to the Centre for Mental Health's new research on the commissioning of voluntary and community organisations in mental health.

"It is especially timely with the announcement of the latest wave of Trailblazer sites, part of the Government’s Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health programme, where local NHS teams and CCGs have a great opportunity to expand and improve the system through collaboration with wider sector partners.

"The report underlines the crucial role that VCSEs play in supporting people’s mental health and recognises that these organisations often take a more holistic approach. This aligns very much with Place2Be’s ‘whole school’ approach to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, working with children, young people, parents, school staff together with wider specialist services.

"Place2Be has been providing evidence-based services in schools along with professional qualifications to develop the children’s mental health workforce over the past 25 years. We share the report’s concerns about the very real challenge that short-term contracts pose. Our experience is that we are more effective in supporting children's mental health when we are embedded in a school. This takes time so is aided by longer contracts. We recognise the huge value that meaningful collaboration and partnerships across sectors can bring – such as through the Greater Manchester Mentally Healthy Schools and Colleges Programme."

Read the Centre for Mental Health's research

Learn more about the Greater Manchester Mentally Healthy Schools and Colleges Programme