Mental Health in Schools Working Group: terms of reference

Background

The Scottish Government’s and COSLA’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2023 sets out a collective vision of ‘A Scotland, free from stigma and inequality, where everyone fulfils their right to achieve the best mental health and wellbeing possible.’   

The strategy is supported by a Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan 2023-2025, which includes actions on the delivery of Creating Hope Together, Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Strategy, and the Self-Harm Strategy and Action Plan. A Mental Health Workforce action plan has also been published. These plans are time-limited and will be subject to refresh.

Governance of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy is provided through a national Leadership Board and supporting structures. This includes the Joint Strategic Board (JSB) for Child and Family Mental Health which advises and support progress towards this vision across children and family policy, providing a strategic overview of mental health work spanning preconception, the perinatal period, parent-infant relationships, early years (up to 5), children and young people (5-24 year olds or 26 years for care leavers) and their families and carers. A particular focus on this work is placed on addressing crisis, prevention, support for early years, and children and families in vulnerable situations.

This Working Group sits within this context, linking to the JSB, considering how our vision for Scotland should be supported and progressed in school settings. It will seek to build on work undertaken in recent years, for example via:

• A Mental health and wellbeing Whole School Approach framework
• Professional learning resource on supporting children and young people’s mental health
• Updating the “One Stop Shop” of resources to support children and young people’s mental health

We also continue to provide £16 million per year to local authorities to provide access to counselling through secondary schools.

Through the children and young people’s Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports and Services Framework, the Scottish Government is providing local authorities with £15 million per annum to fund community-based mental health supports for children and young people aged five-24 (26 if care-experienced), their family members and their carers. 

As well as the education related actions in the Mental Health Delivery Plan and the Suicide Prevention and Self-harm Strategies, we also have the findings of the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research and Health and Wellbeing Census as well as actions in the Relationships and Behaviour Action Plan. These form the context for why the Mental Health in Schools Working Group has been reconvened with an updated remit and membership.

Remit

The group's remit is to:

• consider relevant findings about children and young people’s mental health, including, but not limited to, the Health and Wellbeing Census and Behaviour in Scottish Schools. This will include sharing insights with the JSB and taking action where appropriate
• seek to understand the use and impact of the mental health support we are providing through education settings (including supporting considerations around suicide prevention in education), identifying and addressing barriers and gaps where appropriate
• work with the JSB and wider mental health governance structure to ensure that any work they propose be taken forward in education is appropriate and deliverable, supporting this work as needed
• review and encourage implementation of current Scottish education resources including the Mental health and wellbeing Whole School Approach framework and the professional learning resource on supporting children and young people’s mental health

 

Timescales

The first meeting took place in December 2024. Meetings will be held on a quarterly basis, progressing tasks by correspondence in-between with the scope to meet more frequently at the discretion of the group.

Chair and membership

The group will be chaired by the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES).

Membership will include:

• ADES (Chair)
• Additional ADES rep
• Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland (CCPS)
• Children in Scotland (CIS)
• Education Scotland
• Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)
• Association of Scottish Principal Educational Psychologists (ASPEP)
• NHS Education Scotland
• School Leaders Scotland (SLS)
• Association of Headteachers and Deputes in Scotland (AHDS)
• Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS)
• National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT)
• UNISON
• Connect
• Support and Wellbeing Unit, Scottish Government
• Mental Health Directorate, Scottish Government

Roles and responsibilities

Members will:

• Attend meetings where possible and contribute expertise.
• Make links and communicate the work of the group with relevant networks.
• Contribute to the delivery of agreed actions, working collaboratively to ensure progress.

Accountability – Secretariat

The Support and Wellbeing Unit, Scottish Government will provide secretariat support to the Group. This will include:

• Organisation of meetings.
• Sharing papers one week in advance of each meeting.
• Recording of minutes of meetings and publishing these on the Scottish Government website.
• Providing a central point of contact for Group members.
• Making links with the separate work taking place on staff wellbeing.
• Reporting back to the wider governance structure to ensure joined up working.