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 improve access to community-based mental health support for low-income children and families.

There are currently approximately 65 locally funded early support hubs in England offering early access mental health interventions to thousands of children and young people aged 11 to 25 years old, including those from low-income families.

The Department is running a £8 million Shared Outcomes Fund project throughout 2024/25 to boost and evaluate the impact of 24 of these existing early support hubs, including two in London.

In addition, we will roll out Young Futures hubs in every community. This national network is expected to bring local services together, deliver support for teenagers at risk of being drawn into crime or facing mental health challenges and, where appropriate, deliver universal youth provision. They will provide open access mental health support for children and young people in every community.

We will be working closely with colleagues across the Government to design Young Futures hubs, as well as engaging widely with young people and stakeholders to shape their service offer.