This year, the theme of Children and Young People’s Mental Health week is “This is My Place”, drawing important attention to children and young people’s sense of belonging and the important role that communities and community organisations play in supporting their mental health and wellbeing. As a government, we rightly celebrate the vital role of community organisations in providing support, compassion, connection, and hope to children and young people where and when they need it.

That is why I am pleased to announce that the government is investing an additional £7 million so that the 24 Early Support Hubs we are currently funding can continue to operate an expanded service offer for 2026/27. This means that in total we have provided more than £20m since April 2024 to ensure that thousands more children and young people will continue to receive quicker mental health support and will enable further continuity in the provision of these services. These Hubs help to prevent mental ill health while also bringing care closer to home, both important objectives in our 10 Year Health Plan.

Crucially, this continued investment means that thousands of children and young people will receive earlier, open-access mental health and wellbeing support, where any child can self-refer without an intermediary or prior formal contact. The hubs will continue to offer mental health support and advice to young people aged 11-25, and provide continued access to a range of services which are tailored to local need. This could include group work, counselling, psychological therapies, specialist advice, as well as signposting to information and other services. In addition to the mental health offer of hubs, young people may also be able to access advice on wider issues including sexual health, jobs, drugs, alcohol, and financial worries.

Alongside continuing to support the services offered by these 24 hubs, the funding will ensure continued evaluation of the impact of these services, with early indications suggesting that young people value the holistic approach of the hubs. The evaluation has also highlighted the benefits of easily accessible support for young people, based on interviews with service managers. The evidence and insights collected through the Early Support Hubs evaluation, which aims to publish in the Summer, will support the delivery of Young Futures Hubs, alongside best practice and learning from other initiatives. This learning will inform our ambitions for community mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people, ensuring that they have access to what they need, as soon as they need it.

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wms/?id=2026-02-11.hcws1328.0