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Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¾«×¼×ÊÁÏ is pleased to see Theresa May’s announcement about mental health and our shared society earlier today, following the commitment she made in her first speech as Prime Minister to improving mental health and wellbeing across the UK.

We particularly welcome the statement that every secondary school in England will be offered mental health first aid training. It’s important that teachers and school staff can identify problems and offer emotional first aid to children – and it’s a crucial first step in ensuring children and young people are signposted to appropriate psychological support when needed, such as the local school counsellor or the CAMH service.

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¾«×¼×ÊÁÏ has long campaigned for a trained counsellor in every school, to put England’s children on a par with their peers in Wales and Northern Ireland, where counselling provision is universal.

We are also pleased to see the Prime Minister’s emphasis on improving mental health in the workplace, along with an expansion of digital mental health services.

The underlying commitment to parity of esteem is of prime importance: both for adults and children. There have been few visible improvements since the concept was enshrined in law and parity remains a priority for Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¾«×¼×ÊÁÏ.

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¾«×¼×ÊÁÏ will work with and support the Government in the implementation of these important initiatives which can make a real difference to the mental health and wellbeing of people in our shared society.