Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure children receive appropriate NHS funded physical health and mental health support while they are waiting for an EHCP.

Health services for children and young people are based on clinical need. Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can access National Health Services, including community services, in the usual way, within the local offer, regardless of whether they have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or are awaiting an EHCP. Any health need over and above the local offer should be accessed via an individual funding request to the integrated care board.

Regardless of whether or not a child or young person has an EHCP, a school or other institution has a legal duty under the Children and Families Act 2014 to support children with health conditions, which is outlined in statutory guidance, which is avaiable at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3

Work is currently underway to stabilise and improve NHS mental health services, but there is much more to do. Through the 10-Year Health Plan we will accelerate the rollout of Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges to reach full national coverage by 2029. We will boost the capability and capacity of staff so that they can offer more effective support to young people with complex needs, such as trauma, neurodivergence, and disordered eating. As part of this, we will invest £13 million to pilot enhanced training for staff, which will inform future phases of the programme.