Huw Merriman has welcomed news that children and young people in the Bexhill and Battle constituency are to benefit from additional mental health support.

It was announced last Friday that the Bexhill and Battle constituency will be among the second wave of trailblazer areas to benefit from Mental Health support teams. These will work with schools and colleges to provide a link with young people’s mental health services, ensuring more pupils people get the help and support they need, when they need it. Local schools and colleges will also get priority access next year to mental health training.

The mental health training announced last Friday is backed by £9.3 million and will be provided through workshops which bring together school and college staff and NHS professionals. It will raise awareness of mental health concerns and improve referrals to specialist help when needed. All schools will have access to training over the next four years.

The announcement is part of the Government’s wider programme to support young people’s mental health, which includes an additional £1.4 billion investment and the introduction of compulsory health education lessons from 2020.

Commenting, Huw said:

“Since being elected as MP for Bexhill and Battle in 2015, I have supported many families who have been trying to get the right support for their children’s mental health needs. It has been an uphill struggle for many of them to access the help they need. Bringing school and college staff into the same room as NHS professionals, and encouraging them to work together, will ensure more pupils get the right support at the right time.

“With half of all lifetime cases of mental health disorders beginning by the age of 14, bridging the gap between education and NHS services is vital if we are to ensure all children get the best possible start in life.”