Mental Health Support Teams in schools represent a major government investment in prevention and early intervention in children and young people’s mental health and well-being. This report provides the findings from the first package of research of the national evaluation of the programme.
n 2018, the government launched the Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision Green Paper programme. This funded:
The creation of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) to work in schools and colleges across England
Specific training in whole-school/college approaches to mental health
Well-being for senior mental health leads in schools and colleges.
The MHSTs were designed to have three core functions:
- Provide direct support with evidence-based interventions. For example, low-intensity cognitive behavioral therapy for children and young people with mild to moderate mental health issues and their parents or carers
- To support schools and colleges with their whole-school/college approach to mental health and well-being
- To work with education staff and liaise with external specialist mental health services. This is to ensure that children and young people get the support they need.
The aim of the programme was to improve prevention and early identification of mental ill health in children and young people. As of spring 2025, approximately 600 MHSTs were in place, covering 41% of schools and colleges and 52% of pupils across England. The aim is for all schools and colleges to have access to an MHST by 2029/30.
In 2023, a national evaluation of the programme, funded by the National Institute of Health and Social Care Research, began. This full evaluation built on findings from an early evaluation of the implementation of the programme’s pilot wave of MHSTs known as ‘the Trailblazer’ wave.
The national evaluation is led by Professor Nicholas Mays at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Dr Jo Ellins at the University of Birmingham and involves a multidisciplinary team across LSHTM, University of Birmingham, and University of Cambridge.
This report presents the findings of the first package of research of the evaluation – a survey of education staff in schools and colleges who work with an MHST, and a survey of individuals involved in the delivery of MHSTs.
The aims of the two surveys were to understand how the programme is being implemented across the country. It also aimed to understand successes and challenges, and impacts for children and young people, their parents or carers, education settings, and local systems of mental health provision.