‘Whole school’ approach to mental health in Wales

The Welsh Government has doubled the funding available to local authorities and local health boards across Wales to protect, improve and support the mental health of children and young people.

Worth approximately £2.5 million, the financing will be used to support projects relating to the Welsh Government’s whole school approach to mental health, announced by Education Minister Kirsty Williams and Health and Social Services Minister Vaughan Gething.

The whole school approach aims to ensure that mental health and well-being become central to the way schools work leading to more effective ways of prevention and early intervention. To aid this, ministers confirmed that local authorities and local health boards would receive £1.5 million and £264,000 respectively to support projects across Wales.

The funding arrives roughly a year since the Welsh Government formed a Joint Ministerial Task and Finish Group to accelerate work on improving mental health and well-being support in schools. It was set up following recommendations from the Mind over Matter report released by the National Assembly for Wales’ Children, Young People and Education Committee in 2018.

Williams said: “The mental health and wellbeing of our children and young people is so important and I’m pleased to announce further support for our whole school approach. Our National Mission places wellbeing at the core of our new curriculum, supporting our children and young people to become healthy confident individuals, who are building their mental and emotional well-being by developing confidence, resilience and empathy.”

The Welsh Government has also published its mental health strategy Together for Mental Health.