CCN Policy in Focus: Children's Mental Health
This bespoke Policy in Focus document explores children's mental health and how this impacts on several county-based services.
Our report highlights the scale and complexity of the children and young people’s mental health crisis and its growing impact across local authority services, particularly children’s social care and SEND provision, drawing on insights from professionals acros County Councils Network member councils.
The study finds that mental health need among young people is rising sharply. In county areas, the number of children in need with mental health identified as a factor increased from 27,215 in 2019 to 35,359 in 2024—a 29% rise. At the same time, the number of pupils issued with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) due to social, emotional and mental health needs has almost doubled since 2019. This reflects wider overlap between mental health conditions and neurodiverse needs, which often co‑exist and place additional strain on local authorities’ assessment, specialist placements, and school‑based support.
A key theme in our report is the erosion of early intervention capacity. Reductions to preventative services owing to wider funding pressures for county and unitary councils and rising thresholds in both the NHS and local government have reduced support for lower‑level mental health needs, meaning more children now reach crisis point before receiving help. A mixture of fragmented services, inconsistent school responses, and delays across the health system are collectively exacerbating pressures and that policy reform must reflect the interlinked nature of these challenges.