MPs turn a long-overdue spotlight on children’s mental health and education
2 mins read
Tuesday 24 February 2026
The Education and Health and Social Care committees have teamed up to launch a joint inquiry into children and young people’s mental health.
The cross-party committees are seeking evidence from parents, young people, families and professionals. The aim is to examine how well the system is meeting mental health needs.
Amanda Elliot, Contact’s health lead welcomed the inquiry:
“It’s long overdue. It is vital we understand the relationship between disabled children’s mental health and the way they are supported in and out of school. Persistently high rates of school exclusions, placement breakdowns and anxiety-related school refusal show something needs to change. There is important work still to be done to get this right for our children.”
What the committee will look at
The inquiry will examine:
- Mental health support and services in education and community settings – such as mental health support teams in school – from early years up to the age of 25.
- How this provision is integrated with specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), and other statutory NHS services.
- The relationship between children’s mental health and wellbeing, the help available and how well they can thrive in education.
- How well government strategies, plans and reviews align. This includes the NHS 10-year plan, workforce plans, Best Start in Life, SEND reforms and review into mental health, ADHD and autism services.
How to respond
Contact will be making a written submission. If you would like us to include your views and experiences and mental health and education, email [email protected]
The committee is accepting written submissions until 27 March via the UK Parliament website. There are also plans to shortly launch a survey to gather anonymised personal experiences from individuals who prefer not to make a written submission.