5. Statement by the Minister for Education: Mental Health and Wellbeing Support in Educational Settings

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:08 pm on 23 March 2021.

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Photo of David Rees David Rees Labour 5:08, 23 March 2021

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Minister, can I put on record also my thanks for your stewardship of the education portfolio over the last five years? The statement you've just made demonstrates your commitment to the well-being and education of our young children, our young people, and I very much appreciate that. I look forward and I hope that what you've just said comes to fruition, because I have experience, unfortunately, as have my constituents, where the well-being of young children and the mental health of young children hasn't been addressed fully during this pandemic, particularly children in primary school. As we know, mental health issues can sometimes present themselves as behavioural issues as well, and therefore behavioural changes, often at home, not necessarily in school, can cause difficulties for families. I know of a parent who went to a school to ask for help with those behavioural changes as a consequence of some of the experiences of COVID and being home, and was told, 'We haven't got services available to you.' And that parent didn't have that help, and therefore we need to ensure that the services are available to help parents with children, in primary schools in particular, and also when they move into secondary schools—that transition period as well—to ensure that those services are there so parents don't face the challenges at home because the system has failed to deliver and support the child in the education settings. So, before you leave your post on 6 May, can you give me assurances that you will ensure that every local authority has in place sufficient resources to ensure that children who need that support and parents who ask for that support are not going to be denied it?