Report calls for more mental health teams in schools

The Children's Society's Good Childhood Report has revealed that 10% of the children aged 10 to 17 who completed the survey had low wellbeing, and almost a third were unhappy with at least one specific area of their lives.

The majority (74%) of children felt positive about their own futures, but less than four in ten felt positive about the future of the country and the world.

14.5% per cent of children were unhappy with school (14.5%), a larger proportion than for the other nine aspects of life included in the Good Childhood Index.

Children who worried about how much money their family had were more likely to be unhappy than those without financial worries with all the different aspects of life that they were asked about, and particularly with their home, money and things they own, and the amount of choice they have.

When asked about a list of seven issues relevant for the future, having enough money was the item that more children and young people worried about, followed by finding a job and getting good grades at school.  

The report, recommends that schools are enabled to support pupils’ wellbeing by expanding mental health support teams (MHSTs) to all schools with long-term funding. The government must make sure that no child in England goes without mental health and wellbeing support at school.

The report also recommends measuring children’s subjective wellbeing at least annually and on a much larger national scale across England and Wales, and that Cabinet level posts of Minister for Children are created in both the UK and Welsh governments to share children’s views at the highest level of political decision making and champion children’s needs.