Cornwall’s Children and Teens: What Mental Health Support Is Really Available?

This week, NHS Cornwall is highlighting the range of mental health support on offer for children, young people and families across the county, as part of Mental Health Awareness Month.

The campaign, running throughout May, is led by NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly in partnership with local NHS and community providers. It aims to raise awareness of the importance of mental wellbeing, educate the public, reduce stigma, and promote the support available for those affected by mental health challenges.

“We know we have more to do”

Susan Bracefield, chief nursing officer at NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, said:
“People of every age need support with their mental health, and that’s why highlighting the support available for children, young people and families is so important.

“We understand that the increased need for mental health support, especially since the pandemic, has led to longer waiting times, which is why we are investing into more local and digital access to mental health support to increase our capacity.

“We know we have more to do, which is why this year we are investing in better access for children’s mental health problems, as well as working closely with our community partners to deliver more tailored mental health support.”

What support is available?

Mental health support is now available in a wide range of settings including schools, libraries, and online. A full list of services can be found on the NHS Cornwall website.

Recent developments include:

• Mental health support teams now work with all primary schools across Cornwall, with developed support to help pupils move on to secondary school. This is part of a national expansion that aims to reach more secondary pupils by 2029.

• Paediatric colleagues in local hospitals have received training to help them manage mental health concerns in acute care settings.

• Cornwall continues to follow a needs-led approach to neurodiversity, with training and advice being rolled out to parents and schools. The Partnerships in Inclusion for Neurodiversity Scheme has already reached 30 primary schools.

Voluntary sector playing a vital role

Emma Rowse, chief executive officer of Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum, said:
“The provision of mental health support goes far beyond NHS services and across the voluntary community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector there are a raft of high quality and professional services delivering support for children, young people and families.”

You can follow updates and learn more about the campaign on the NHS Cornwall Facebook page.