Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to expand the (a) provision and (b) resourcing of health and wellbeing practitioners within schools.

In March 2021, the Government announced an additional £79 million of funding to expand children’s mental health services in 2021/22. A portion of this funding will be used to accelerate the coverage of mental health support teams in schools and colleges, with the aim of 400 teams being operational, covering an estimated three million children and young people by 2023. We have published updated guidance on the commissioning and provision of public health support for children, alongside a new service model for school nursing.