Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the effect on referral rates for child and adolescent mental health services of the closure of schools due to the covid-19 outbreak; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on introducing additional referral routes for those services.

The Department for Health and Social Care is currently supporting NHS England and NHS Improvement in investigating the consequences of the COVID-19 restrictions on referrals and consultations by age. There are reports from local areas that numbers of referrals to NHS children and young people’s mental health services have fallen over recent weeks, however, data is not available to identify the specific impact that school closures may have had.

NHS children and young people’s mental health services remain open for those needing support, and referrals can be made by parents, teachers, social workers and by children and young people themselves (if over the age of 16). Local areas are rapidly adjusting to deliver interventions by phone or via digital platforms. Plans are also being put in place for those children and young people who do not have access to online resources or may not have a private place in their home to take part in one-to-one conversations.