Responding to a new report from the Centre for Mental Health and
the Children & Young People's Mental Health Coalition on how
poor mental health and long waits for support are fuelling school
absence, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders'
union NAHT, said:
“School is the best place for children, and schools work
extremely hard to support pupils who find full time attendance
difficult.
"However, we hear from school leaders how attendance is being
impacted by the difficulties families face when trying to access
support from community services like mental health and social
care, and this can be particularly challenging for families with
children who have special educational needs.
“Government funding for these services simply hasn't kept pace
with demand, meaning less capacity, long waiting lists and higher
thresholds for support. Without access to timely help, children's
needs can spiral and the effect on their attendance and
engagement in learning can be significant.
“Fines for parents have proved to be a blunt and ineffective
instrument in tackling non-attendance. If ministers are serious
about addressing the root causes of persistent absence they must
invest properly in essential support services so these services
can help families with issues in their lives - including funding
local authorities to restore key roles like education welfare
officers which have fallen victim to government austerity.”
