Question reference: S6W-01684
- Asked by: Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 21 July 2021
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Current status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 August 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken within secondary schools to raise awareness of suicide prevention and the availability of mental health support.
Answer
The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is an absolute priority for the Scottish Government. We are committed to improving support for children and young people’s mental health, in order to ensure early intervention and prevention of suicide.
We know that schools play a key role in supporting children and young people’s mental health. The Mental Health in Schools Working Group recently developed a new mental health professional learning resource for all school staff to assist in responding to and supporting children and young people’s mental health in schools. Education Scotland has also provided tools and guidance for school staff to further strengthen support to children and young people.
We want to make sure anyone who needs support can get access to appropriate services. The provision of Educational Psychologists, school counselling services and school staff are a key part of the support being offered across schools in Scotland. We continue to support our local authority partners with £16 million in funding to ensure that every secondary school has access to counselling services.