In February 2026, the Health and Social Care and Education Committees launched an inquiry into children and young people’s mental health, exploring the mental health support available to children and young people in community, health and education settings.

As the national voice of over 300 mental health charities in England and Wales, we represent approximately 65 charities delivering services specifically to support children, young people and their families. To develop our response to the consultation, we engaged with our membership through meetings and a members’ survey, drawing together the insights and expertise of mental health charities across the country.

In our consultation response, we outline key areas where improvement is needed, including reforming approaches to funding and commissioning and strengthening integration across education, NHS and community services. This paper provides a summary of the key 9 recommendations in our consultation response.