This is why Sheffield school pupils are being referred directly to mental health services - without having to go through a GP

Sheffield’s Healthy Minds programme aims to support children and young people with their mental health in a school setting.

So far, 33 schools have made direct referrals into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) without families needing to see their GP in the first instance.

Healthy Minds is being delivered in 112 schools of the 176 mainstream schools in Sheffield and there are plans to roll it out to more primary and secondaries.

In a report, council officers say: “The referral pilot across the 33 schools is working well and is providing schools with direct support from CAMHS clinicians in working with the most vulnerable children and young people.

“In the first three months of the schools referring, the CAMHS team took 66 calls resulting in 13 referrals.

“Key to its success has been the schools commitment and whole school approach to the Healthy Minds model of working.”

Officers say it’s important to recognise that not all young people access mainstream education.

They add: “While our early intervention and prevention model through Healthy Minds is offered through primary and secondary schools, we acknowledge that not all vulnerable children and young people can access this.

“We are working closely with the Sheffield Inclusion Centre, alternative provision providers and with the voluntary sector to establish individually designed support models for vulnerable young people.”