Mental Health Services: Schools
(asked on 14th October 2026) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress she has made on recruiting a counsellor to every school in a) Bolsover constituency and b) Derbyshire.
NHS England advises that Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in North Derbyshire are provided by the Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. As of September 2026, the average waiting time for young people on the CAMHS waiting list in North Derbyshire was 14 weeks, with the longest waiting time being 42 weeks.
As of the end of June 2026, 57 children and young people in North Derbyshire were on the CAMHS waiting list for an autism spectrum disorder and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder assessment. Obsessive compulsive disorder is primarily classified as a mental health condition and is not separately identified on the CAMHS waiting list.
CAMHS has a process in place to support and monitor children and young people while they are waiting for an appointment. The relevant Standard Operating Procedure for the Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was reviewed and ratified through CAMHS governance processes on 13 October 2026.
Supporting children, young people, and their families while they wait for CAMHS is also a priority within the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Priority Impact Plan and is subject to ongoing assessment by the Care Quality Commission. As part of work to review and improve the support available, the integrated care board has worked with parents and carers to assess the information and support available to families. This has included a recent update to the Derbyshire Local Offer: Children and Young People's Mental Health Support, which helps families understand the mental health and wellbeing support available to children and young people. Further information on the offer is available at the following link:
The Government’s ambition is for Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) to provide coverage across 100% of schools in England by the end of 2029, which we are on track to deliver. This does not mean that every school will have its own dedicated counsellor. MHSTs work across groups of schools and provide support through multidisciplinary teams, including Education Mental Health Practitioners. They offer early, evidence-based support for children and young people and help schools develop whole-school approaches to mental health and wellbeing.
In Bolsover, an established MHST supports a defined group of schools, although provision does not currently extend directly to every school. Across Derby and Derbyshire, Compass Changing Lives provides an emotional health and wellbeing offer across all schools. Its Early Intervention and Targeted Support Service provides support in areas that are not covered by an MHST.