Dear John,

Childhood should be a happy time, filled with cherished memories and laughter. However, for too many it can also be a very difficult time.

Recent data shows that one in five children aged 7 to 16 have a probable mental health disorder. And, with half of all lifetime mental health disorders starting before the age of 14, it is crucial we intervene early.

Sadly, children don’t have access to the support they need - with the majority of schools still without any access to mental health support teams.

That’s why I’ve introduced a Bill to place a qualified mental health practitioner in every primary and secondary school - providing support to every child as soon as they need it.

You can watch my speech to Parliament introducing the Bill here:

⏲️ Watch time: 2 mins

This Bill is vital to support happy and healthy childhoods and boost young people’s prospects into adulthood.

Children waiting for mental health support miss vast amounts of school, affecting grades, qualifications, and future careers. But they also miss the important social aspects of schools, interacting with friends and teachers, and experiencing new things.

Given the damage done by major social media companies to our children’s mental health, we propose a tripling of the digital services tax they pay to fund these additional practitioners.

And we know this isn’t just affecting our children, you can read more about our mental health plans for all, here:

⏲️ Est. reading time: 1 min

We must tackle mental health challenges among our children. Placing a mental health practitioner in every school (primary and secondary) will significantly improve children’s well-being and life prospects.

Please share our plans and back our campaign to end mental health injustice:

Thank you for your support.

Best wishes,