The Government has announced today (Aug 26) that it will be investing £8m into mental health services for pupils and staff across all schools and colleges in England.
The Wellbeing for Education Return scheme has been created with health partners, local authorities, mental health experts, and schools and colleges.
“By investing in this tailored training programme, we can help schools and colleges to support their pupils effectively, enabling them to have sensitive and open conversations with pupils.”
Some of the funding will be used to recruit local experts to deliver the training required for colleges and schools to provide adequate mental health care for pupils and staff.
The training will be delivered via webinars which could then be shared to other members of staff as well as other materials used for learning.
The new funding comes as a direct result of Covid-19 and it is hoped that the training will help to alleviate some of the pressures that have been put onto young people, and also teachers, because of the pandemic.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said:
“It is a national priority to ensure all children are back in their classrooms in September, because that is the best place for them to be for their education, development and wellbeing. Young people are looking forward to getting back to school or college and being reunited with their friends and teachers, and there is a growing confidence among parents about their children returning.
“But this pandemic has impacted people in different ways, particularly young people dealing with the disruption of the last few months but also on our dedicated teachers and education staff, who have responded heroically to the challenges.
“By investing in this tailored training programme, we can help schools and colleges to support their pupils effectively, enabling them to have sensitive and open conversations with pupils.”
The Government is clear on its stance that the classroom is the best place for children to be at this time, despite the risk of infection.
The Government aims to make the transition back into school as seamless as possible with extra emphasis on mental health for children and teachers.
