I welcome the news that hundreds of young people across Wycombe will receive bolstered support with their mental health this year, thanks to £180,500 of funding for community-based Early Support Hubs.
Early Support Hubs provide open access, drop-in mental health services that assist young people aged 11-25 with a range of issues such as exam worries, financial difficulties, jobs and relationships, helping to prevent more severe mental illness without the need for a referral or doctor’s appointment.
24 hubs up and down the country, including Youth Enquiry Service based in High Wycombe, will receive funding to deliver 10,000 more interventions such as group sessions, counselling, therapies, and specialist support over the next twelve months.
NHS data shows that 21% of 8- to 16-year-olds have a probable mental health problem, which has increased 7% since 2017.
Evidence suggests that open-access hubs attract groups that are less likely to engage with traditional NHS or school-based services, including ‘older’ young people and those from an ethnic minority background.
The evidence collected from the evaluation of the Early Support Hubs programme will be one of the key initiatives used to support the delivery of future open access mental health support, which the government is committed to providing through Young Futures Hubs.
The learning will inform the government’s ambitions for community mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people. Expanding community mental health support will complement wider reforms to make the NHS fit for the future and break down barriers to opportunity for young people.
The government made a clear commitment in its manifesto to improve the mental health of young people through specialist support and earlier intervention. Today’s investment is a positive step towards supporting the mental health of children and young people. This continued funding will have a significant positive impact on many of my constituents.
Mental Health Minister Baroness Merron said:
Too many children and young people are waiting too long to access the mental health care they need – worrying about things like exams, money, jobs and relationships – which can compound their illness and limit their potential.
Early Support Hubs are a fantastic way local communities can support young people with their mental health at an early stage, before they experience more severe mental illness, and without the need to join a waiting list.
As we reform the NHS as part of our Plan for Change, this government is committed to shifting more healthcare into communities and giving mental health the focus and funding it deserves.”
