The pace of improvements to mental-health provision is too slow, leaving many children vulnerable, the NAHT headteachers’ union has said.

Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, says that the scale of changes suggested by the government is also too little. Many of his members report that their pupils struggling to learn, because of untreated mental health problems.

The union was responding to the government’s consultation on its new Green Paper on children and young people’s mental health. The consultation closed on Friday.

Mr Whiteman said that headteachers welcomed the Green Paper’s plans to increase funding and provision for young people’s mental health. He said: “Many of our members report a system in crisis, where unsupported pupils are at best struggling to learn, and at worst are at serious risk.

“Increased demand for mental health services, combined with plummeting funding, has meant that many pupils are not receiving crucial support.”

‘Simply too slow’

He pointed out that a recent NAHT survey showed that 99.7 per cent of school leaders agreed that access to therapeutic support for pupils with poor mental health needed to be improved.

However, he added, the government’s proposals do not go far enough quickly enough.

“The scale and pace proposed by the Green Paper for vital improvements to mental health provision is simply too slow,” he said.

“With only 20-25 per cent of the country involved over the next five years, too many children and young people will continue to struggle without help.

“NAHT would urge the government to increase the capacity of existing mental health services for children and young people across the country immediately.”

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