Supporting children's mental health critical in closing education gap, says charity

Based on a survey of 669 people working on the frontline with families, who estimate their services reach 36,000 children between them, the report warns that Covid-19 has resulted in a generation of children in trauma and experiencing mental health issues which need to be addressed before Government catch-up education strategies will work.

Buttle UK, a charity that provides financial grants to children living in poverty, carried out the survey between 22 June and 15 July.

The charity is calling on the Government to recognise what they are calling a ‘second pandemic’ and put in place a ‘clear’ mental health strategy before anything else.

It found that compared with results from the same survey a year ago, 10 per cent more support workers (61 per cent) reported mental health problems as a key difficulty the children they work with are facing.

Respondents agreed said that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been made worse by Covid, with 68 per cent reporting that family mental illness has been impacted the most. Close to half said the pandemic has made it ‘a lot more severe’.

Other key findings from the ‘State of Child Poverty 2021’ report include:

• Key workers reported that 51 per cent of the children and young people they work with now struggle to engage in education. A total of 66 per cent of these children have fallen behind in their education because of the pandemic.
• Reasons children are falling behind as cited by support workers included – access to IT, dealing with past and ongoing trauma, different aged children with different needs in home schooling, parental physical and mental health barriers.
• In contrast, in some cases, key workers said the pandemic has led to positive relationships being built, has meant families have reconnected with each other and it had led to a decrease in some children being involved in crime.
• Nearly half of all respondents said the most crucial form of support needed for children going forward was mental health support. In comparison, just 9 per cent said that educational support was critical.

Within the report, the charity puts forward a number of recommendations to policy makers.

'We must listen to frontline professionals and prioritise mental health support'

Joseph Howes, chief executive of Buttle UK, said, ‘It’s clear that the pandemic has exacerbated some of the very challenging experiences that many children on low incomes were already facing and with it the level of trauma they are dealing with.

‘This crisis in mental health problems is one of the key drivers in children from disadvantaged backgrounds falling further behind in their education. If we are to close the growing gap with their more affluent peers then we must listen to these frontline professionals and prioritise mental health support, otherwise initiatives like the National Tutoring Programme are not going to benefit those that need it most.’

A Government spokesperson said, 'We know the past year has been incredibly difficult for many children and young people, who have faced additional challenges and anxieties.

'We are prioritising the wellbeing of children and young people, backed by more than £17 million to build on the mental health support currently available in schools. This includes our £15 million Wellbeing for Education Recovery and Return programmes, which are helping education staff respond to pressures by providing training and resources to staff so that they can support students experiencing trauma, anxiety, or grief.

'We are also investing £3 billion to boost learning, including £950 million in additional funding for schools which they can use as they see best to support their pupils, including for mental health and wellbeing.'

• The report, ‘The State of Child Poverty 2021’ is available here