Richard Benyon, MP for Newbury, has welcomed new measures to transform the approach to mental health in West Berkshire so that more children and young people receive support and care.
Every secondary school in this area will be offered mental health first aid training to increase awareness and help to tackle the unacceptable stigma around the issue. To support this initiative, new proposals will outline how mental health services for schools, universities and families can be improved, so that everyone in the community is supported, at every stage of life. There will also be a review of children and adolescent mental health services in West Berkshire which will help to identify what is already working and what can be improved, so more children and young people get the mental healthcare they need and deserve.
These proposals are part of a wide range of measures to improve mental health care across the board, including improved support in the workplace, and increased help in the community, so that everyone can access the best support for their needs. More online services will be provided and the system will be made fairer for people suffering from mental health problems.
Richard Benyon commented:
“For too long there hasn’t been enough focus on mental healthcare in this country. I am aware of the problems faced by people in West Berkshire suffering from mental ill health and I am helping launch Brighter Berkshire 2017 next week which is a community-led initiative to address this issue across the county. I am delighted that the Government is prioritising the need for change. Bringing this out into the open, challenging the stigma that still surrounds it and dealing with the injustices that people with mental health problems face will help to ensure that we live in a country where everyone gets the support they need. Improving mental healthcare in our schools, workplaces and universities is a vital first step and these new proposals will mean that children and young people in West Berkshire will receive the compassion, care and treatment they deserve.“