Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of talking-therapy-based interventions for young people previously charged with violent offences involving (a) weapons and (b) bladed articles known to (i) mental health and (ii) youth justice services as presenting a risk of serious violence.

The Department recognises the importance of ensuring that effective, evidence-based support is available for young people with mental health needs who present a risk of serious violence.

The Department has not made a separate or specific assessment of the effectiveness of talking therapies for the highly specific cohort described. However, there is strong evidence that talking-therapy-based interventions, including cognitive behavioural therapy, are effective in improving mental health outcomes for children and young people. In the first 12 months of the Government, nearly 40,000 more children and young people received mental health support compared to the previous 12 months. We are also rolling out Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges in England to reach full national coverage by 2029.

Where someone has a mental disorder and there is a risk of harm to themselves or others, the triaging of their need will result in prioritised access to assessment and treatment. If a person with a mental disorder is seen as a significant risk of violence to others, this would increase the priority given. NHS England has shared new draft guidance with systems, the Mental Health Personalised Care Framework, which sets out how services must effectively assess, plan, and manage people's care in collaboration with all relevant teams, including how they assess safety and risks of harm.