Brighton & Hove City Council have announced that more than £350,000 is being invested in mental health support for Brighton schools. The funding will focus on schools in deprived areas, and will pay for a new mental health support team, comprising of seven staff.
The service will be launched in the autumn term. Funding was secured by the council and the NHS.
The extra support comes at a time when schools in the UK are facing a mental health crisis. A recent survey by the National Education Union found that eight out of ten teachers believe mental health amongst their pupils has deteriorated in the last two years.
In the same survey, fifty-seven per cent of teachers expressed their belief that funding cuts are contributing to the problem.
The chair of the council’s children, young people and skills committee, Councillor Nick Childs, said:
“Our inclusion support service and public health team are already doing excellent work in schools to address mental health issues.
It’s not just about 1-1 work with children, and making sure teachers get the training they need to support children who are having a difficult time. Our schools are also looking at how exercise, the arts and good diet can improve children’s mental health.
We believe the new team’s work will help more children to fulfil their potential, reduce exclusions and improve attendance.”
