Our policy recommendations

We have developed some policy recommendations based on our experience working with schools across the UK for over 30 years.

Our mission is to improve children’s mental health, so that no child faces mental health issues alone. We believe that every child deserves to have:

To achieve this, there needs to be:

government investment in mental health programmes and services delivering early intervention, prevention, and providing support further ‘upstream’
collaborative approaches to commissioning children and young people’s mental health services - involving local schools, voluntary and community organisations, local government and Integrated Care Boards
voluntary and community sector involvement in the design and delivery of mental health services, utilising their skills, experience and workforce capabilities
mental health support in every school, accessible to every pupil, embedded through a school-based counsellor or mental health practitioner.

This means we need to see:

guidance on a whole-school approach to supporting pupil wellbeing followed by every school, with schools being given the necessary funding and resources to do this
school staff equipped with knowledge and understanding of mental health and wellbeing relevant to their roles – with modules embedded from initial teacher training, through the career framework, and up to senior leadership
a school ethos that commits to uplifting wellbeing, building resilience and the emotional strength of school populations including staff and pupils. This should form a key part of school accountability and oversight metrics
schools should routinely collect data on pupil wellbeing and work with the NHS to more effectively utilise this information locally and nationally to gain a clearer understanding of mental health needs.

We can get there when:

children who need more specialist mental health support can receive it at the point of need
the Government commits to long-term, sustainable investment in Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services including CAMHS
schools actively involve young people with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities and their families in shaping and delivering Education, Health and Care plans (EHCPs)
alternative provision is a last resort for pupils, who receive the mental health support they need to enable them to return to a mainstream education setting.

Families can be supported by:

the Government addressing the risk factors of poor mental health through investment in social welfare, family and community services
parents and carers being given appropriate support to build positive relationships with children, through government investment in childcare provision, early years services, community hubs and mental health services
schools more effectively working in partnership with families
having comprehensive pathways of support for looked after or care-experienced young people, bringing together joined-up services who provide areas of support, e.g. education, employment and training, social work and mental health.

09 September 2024

In a joint letter, experts call on the new Secretary of State to address school absence through a mental health lens.

19 July 2024

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has given us a glimpse of his priorities for the coming year.

12 July 2024

Place2Be hosted a cross-sector roundtable to discuss the impact of persistent absence and identify practical solutions.