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Tony Lloyd MP has tabled an Early Day Motion called “The Draft Mental Health Bill”. Mental health across the UK has hit an all time crisis and the government must now move swiftly to deliver the support needed to improve access to services

Motion text

That this House welcomes the publication of the Draft Mental Health Bill; applauds the aim to ensure appropriate care for people with serious mental illness within the criminal justice system, better meet the needs of people with a learning disability to include those with autistic spectrum condition, give people greater control over their treatment, especially those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are disproportionately detained under the provisions of the current Act and to provide funding to enable local communities to explore alternatives to hospital admission for people experiencing a mental health crisis; further understands that despite the government’s public call for evidence to support the development of a new cross-government 10-year plan for mental health, including supporting children and young people’s mental health, there are no current plans to bring forward specific legislative proposals to require early intervention and preventative measures to help address children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing issues at the first possible opportunity; and urges the government to amend the Draft Mental Health Bill in accordance or give a commitment to introduce a stand-alone Bill to provide a Framework for the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Children and Young People to include fully-funded early intervention and preventive strategies within schools and in the community.

Helen Clark: director, The Child Mental Health Charter Campaign

“The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has agreed to step down today but that is no reason for a vital and historic reform of the 1983 Mental Health Act to be delayed. Indeed, it should be a top priority for a new Conservative Prime Minster.

“This Early Day Motion,  tabled  by Tony Lloyd MP mentions that despite the many good things in the intended Reform Bill, the needs of children and young people who are in desperate need of essential preventative and early intervention care is just not there.  Play Therapy UK (PTUK) now call upon MPs from all parties to back this Motion  and press for amendments to the current Bill to allow for it – or to campaign with us for a new ‘Stand Alone’ Bill to place children and young people at the heart of  a new mental health legislative strategy.’

“We do hope that readers of ‘Nursery Management Today’ will ask their own MP to sign this important Motion in the interests of all children and young people.”

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has agreed to step down but that is no reason whatsoever for the vital and historic reform of the 1983 Mental Health Act to be delayed or abandoned. Indeed it should and must be a top priority for a new Prime Minister and Government.

This Early Day Motion tabled by Tony Lloyd MP states that despite the many good things in the intended Reform Bill, measures for children and young people who are in desperate need of essential preventative and early intervention care is not just there. Play Therapy UK (PTUK) now call upon MPs from all parties to back this Motion and press for amendments to the current Bill to allow for it – or to campaign with us for a radical ‘Stand Alone’ Bill to place children and young people at the heart of new mental health legislation.

Today, we need everyone who works with children in a therapeutic capacity or cares for them in a domestic sense, to contact their local MP and ask them to sign the Motion.’

Help the Child Mental Health Charter to help children today.

Helen Clark: Director, The Child Mental Health Charter Campaign

The Government announced its intention to introduce a draft Bill to reform the 1983 Mental Health Act in the recent Queen’s Speech list of Bills.

Unfortunately the draft Bill (as we understand it) will have none of the children and young people-centred ‘early intervention’ measures that characterised the 2017 Green Paper: Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health. It is instead, a response to the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983 by Sir Simon Wessely (a former President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists). There are some reforms to the ways in which people are treated in restraint and also improved provision for people with autistic spectrum conditions.  However, an opportunity to enact legislation to protect children and young people when they first begin to manifest signs of becoming unwell has been missed.

This month, the Government released a paper entitled: Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Implementation Programme.

Introducing the paper, the Government describes the contents as a ‘progress report’ on the introduction of ‘three core proposals’:

• New Mental Health Support Teams (Musts) in 20-25% of the country by 2023/23 that provide support and extra capacity for Early Intervention and help for mild to moderate mental health issues
• Training for senior mental health leads to implement an effective whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing in schools and colleges
• Pilots for a four-week waiting time for children and young peoples’ mental health services

The DFE also announced further funding following Covid-19 via the Wellbeing for Education Return/Recovery programmes.

The Child Mental Health Charter Campaign is interested to know your views on the Implementation document. What has your experience of extra help or funding been?  None of the measures are legally binding.

Send your own response to: helenrclark@ntlworld.com

Help the Child Mental Health Charter Campaign to help children today.

Children’s Mental Health Week 2022 comes at a time when the mental health of children and young people is discussed as never before. It will be marked today by an Opposition Day debate in the House of Commons and I hope that MPs from all political parties will attend and represent their constituents by standing up for children in their constituencies.

Those of us who have long campaigned to raise the profile of an issue that is proving to be the true legacy of Covid 19 (following years of neglect and under-investment) will welcome this.

We welcome today the fact that these matters will be raised by those who represent us and have the power to make change happen.

BUT WILL IT?

The omens are poor. In 2017, a Green Paper on the mental health of children and young people seemed to suggest that future legislation would, at last place their needs at the heart of new legislation. Yet the subsequent White Paper was disappointing. Apart from some measures to improve the lot of those detained for their safety, and to improve outcomes for those with autism, it was as if the Green Paper had not happened. The Green Paper was, in effect ‘ghosted’ by the Government and its proposals ignored.

Following expressions of widespread public concern, Ministers now mention children’s mental health again. Schools can access funding from a pot designed to help their pupils catch up academically; mental health support teams have been announced with their number promised to increase; damage from online abuse and country lines exploitation has been exposed and condemned.

THE GREEN PAPER HAS ‘COME IN FROM THE COLD’ OR HAS IT?

Nothing has changed New measures are ‘pilot’ schemes; none enshrined in law. But this year the Government will introduce the first reform of the Mental Health Act since 1983. There is still chance for the new legislation to put the mental health of children and young people at its heart – if we act now.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Please write to your MP. Ask them to write to The Secretary of State for Health, Sajid Javid and the Prime Minster, Boris Johnson. Tell them that a new Mental Health Act must place the needs of children and young people at its heart; supported by the Six Principles in the Child Mental Health Charter.

HELP THE CHILD MENTAL HEALTH CHARTER CAMPAIGN TO HELP CHILDREN TODAY

Helen Clark: Director, Child Mental Health Charter Campaign