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Abstract
Background: Between 2018 and 2025, a national implementation programme is funding more than 500 new mental health support teams (MHSTs) in England, to work in education settings to deliver evidence-based interventions to children with mild to moderate mental health problems and support emotional wellbeing for all pupils. A new role, education mental health practitioner (EMHP), has been created for the programme.
Aims: A national evaluation explored the development, implementation and early progress of 58 MHSTs in the programme’s first 25 ‘Trailblazer’ sites. This paper reports the views and experiences of people involved in MHST design, implementation and service delivery at a local, regional and national level.
Methods: Data are reported from in-depth interviews with staff in five Trailblazer sites (n = 71), and the programme’s regional (n = 52) and national leads (n = 21).
Results: Interviewees universally welcomed the creation of MHSTs, but there was a lack of clarity about their purpose, concerns that the standardised CBT interventions being offered were not working well for some children, and challenges retaining EMHPs.
Conclusions: This study raises questions about MHSTs’ service scope, what role they should play in addressing remaining gaps in mental health provision, and how EMHPs can develop the skills to work effectively with diverse groups.
Aims: A national evaluation explored the development, implementation and early progress of 58 MHSTs in the programme’s first 25 ‘Trailblazer’ sites. This paper reports the views and experiences of people involved in MHST design, implementation and service delivery at a local, regional and national level.
Methods: Data are reported from in-depth interviews with staff in five Trailblazer sites (n = 71), and the programme’s regional (n = 52) and national leads (n = 21).
Results: Interviewees universally welcomed the creation of MHSTs, but there was a lack of clarity about their purpose, concerns that the standardised CBT interventions being offered were not working well for some children, and challenges retaining EMHPs.
Conclusions: This study raises questions about MHSTs’ service scope, what role they should play in addressing remaining gaps in mental health provision, and how EMHPs can develop the skills to work effectively with diverse groups.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 2278101 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Journal of Mental Health |
Early online date | 8 Nov 2023 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 8 Nov 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding:The study was carried out by: the Birmingham, RAND and Cambridge (BRACE) Rapid Evaluation Centre, funded by the NIHR Health and Social Care Delivery Research Programme (Project No: HSDR 16/138/31); and the Policy Innovation and Evaluation Research Unit, funded by the NIHR Policy Research Programme (Project No: PR-PRU-1217-20602). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.
Keywords
- mental health
- children
- early intervention
- education
- implementation
- CBT
- paraprofessionals
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NIHR Rapid Service Evaluations Centre
Smith, J., Ellins, J. & Taylor, B.
NIHR EVALUATION, TRIALS AND STUDIES COORDINATING CENTRE
1/04/18 → 31/03/25
Project: Other Government Departments