Funding boost for young people’s mental health services

Thousands more young people will get the mental health support they need thanks to a £7m funding boost for early support hubs across England.

Early support hubs are community-based services that provide drop-in mental health support for young people aged 11-25 with a range of issues, helping to prevent more-severe mental illness without the need for a referral or doctor’s appointment.

The investment will allow the 24 existing hubs to expand services in local communities, delivering 10,000 additional mental health and wellbeing interventions over the next 12 months. This could include counselling, group work, therapeutic support, and specialist advice.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “No young person should suffer in silence with their mental health.

“We’reinvesting in the wellbeing of the next generation, making sure every young person has the best start in life and the support they need to grow, to flourish and to thrive.

“Early support hubs are already making a real difference and this funding boost will expand services to support more young people in communities across the country.

“Alongside this, we’re investing an extra £688m in mental health services this year and are well on our way to recruiting 8,500 additional mental health workers across children’s and adult services.”

Findings from the early support hubs programme will shape the Government’s plans for the rollout of young futures hubs, informing how open-access mental health care is delivered in the future.

It comes as there is a high demand for mental health services within communities.

An NHS England report shows that, in 2023, approximately one in five people aged 8-25 years had a mental disorder.

Early support hubs are a step towards meeting that demand.

Research also indicates that the hubs attract groups that are less likely to engage with traditional NHS or school-based services, including older teenagers and those from an ethnic minority background.

Minister for Early Education, Olivia Bailey, said: “Every young person deserves access to mental health support when they need it, without barriers or long waits.

“Early support hubs are making a real difference in communities, complementing the rollout of mental health support teams in all schools in England, which has already reached six in 10 children.

“These services are vital so that every young person can achieve and thrive, getting timely support in their local areas, whether that’s group sessions, or simply a safe space to talk.”

Connie Muttock, head of policy at the Centre for Young Lives, added: “Childhood is a crucial window where the right support can be transformational.

“Early support hubs can be a lifeline, providing accessible, youth-friendly community spaces meeting young people’s needs holistically.

“The decision to extend funding for these vital services is welcome, and we very much hope this is the first part of a large and long-term package of support to match the scale of the mental health crisis young people are currently coping with alone.”

And Andy Bell, chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health, said: “We have long called for a national rollout of hubs so that all children and young people can access timely, community-based mental health support.

“It is vital that insights from this programme shape the Government’s plans for young futures hubs, informing how open-access mental health provision is delivered and sustained.

“Asset out in the Government’s manifesto, this must mean genuinely open access,co-produced with young people, with mental health support available up to the age of 25.”