South Cambs MP Heidi Allen and Meldreth mental health campaigner Steve Mallen have welcomed new measures to transform the way children and young people’s mental health is tackled.
The measures announced by Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday list a number of initiatives for mental health, including offering mental health first aid training in schools, building stronger links with NHS children and adolescent mental health services and a major review of those services lead by the Care Quality Commission.
“This is a tremendous announcement from the Prime Minister and will be good news for the many parents and schools who have shared their worries with me,” Mrs Allen said.
“These new proposals will help ensure our children and young people receive the treatment and support they need much more rapidly.”
When he heard the news, Meldreth’s Steve Mallen, who founded the MindEd Trust after losing son Ed to suicide nearly two years ago, said: “Today is nothing short of a landmark in the history of mental health in this country. The Prime Minister has finally placed mental health at the centre of the national social agenda and launched a raft of measures which will help large sections of our community.
“There is a welcome and very necessary focus on young people, together with what we might achieve in the education system, helping to prevent people reaching crisis.”
The CQC and Ofsted will work together to review mental health services and this will inform the future of joint inspections to ensure that services are held to account for their performance.
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