Thank you for contacting me about the #FundTheHubs campaign being run by MIND and their associated report about improving mental well-being and community resilience in the UK.
Supporting the mental health of our children and young people is an issue of great urgency. I understand that there are currently 60 early support hubs in England, and it is positive that the Government is actively exploring the model of early access of support for children and young people’s mental health with stakeholders.
Whilst access to services varies across local areas, the Government has established 24-7 NHS urgent mental health lines to ensure that children and young people can access advice and support around their mental health.
The Government provided £79 million in 2021/22 to expand children and young people's mental health services, which will help expand coverage of mental health teams providing early support in schools and colleges. This is in addition to investment provided through the NHS Mental Health Implementation Plan 2019/20-2023/24.
Allocations of the Public Health Grants for local authorities in England for 2022-23 have now been confirmed and I note that the current Public Health Outcomes Framework includes a number of measures around mental health where local authorities are expected to address in their communities.