Thursday 21st November 2024

(2 days, 1 hour ago)

Written Corrections
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Bobby Dean Portrait Bobby Dean
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

One thing that might be driving absences from schools for young carers is long-term mental health conditions. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health says that as many as one in five young carers could be suffering from long-term mental health conditions. Can the Minister explain what measures the Department is taking to ensure that sufficient help is in place for people suffering from those conditions?

Janet Daby Portrait Janet Daby
- Hansard - -

We want to ensure that we support young carers in school, as well as other children who may be suffering from mental health conditions. This Government are entirely committed to supporting young people with mental health conditions, and we are making sure that there will be mental health support in every school up and down the country. For young carers who may be experiencing increasing mental health conditions, we are expanding the attendance mentoring programme to ensure that around an extra 10,800 young carers are supported, especially in the area of mental health.

[Official Report, 4 November 2024; Vol. 756, c. 15.]

Written correction submitted by the Under-Secretary of State for Education, the hon. Member for Lewisham East (Janet Daby):

Janet Daby Portrait Janet Daby
- Hansard - -

… This Government are entirely committed to supporting young people with mental health conditions, and we are making sure that there will be mental health support in every school up and down the country. We are expanding the attendance mentoring programme to ensure that around an extra 10,800 young people are supported, including in the area of mental health.