42nd Street's 2025-2030 Business Plan: Transforming and Delivering Innovative Quality Mental Health Support to Young People (aged 12-25) in Greater Manchester
“Ten years have passed since the publication of Future in Mind, the blueprint for transforming the children’s mental health system. Mind’s national survey in February 2021 revealed that 67% of the 2,438 13–25-year-old young people that they interviewed believed that the pandemic will have a long-term negative effect on their mental health. This includes young people who had been bereaved or undergone traumatic experiences during the pandemic, who were concerned about whether friendships would recover, or who were worried about the loss of education or their prospects of finding work.
The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition have continued to lead the system and sector to build a sophisticated and contemporary understanding of the changes and pressures being experienced by children and young people across the system. They conclude that- at the time of writing- the scale of crisis facing the children’s mental health system remains bigger than ever. They cite how the mental health of children and young people has declined in recent years, with one in five children and young people aged 8 to 25 years with a reported mental health problem in 2023, compared to one in nine in 2017 (NHS Digital, 2023).
The establishment of a new government in Autumn 2024 brought renewed commitment to babies, children and young people’s mental health with a series of commitments in relation to children and young people’s mental health, pledging to raise the healthiest generation of children and achieve parity of esteem between physical and mental health.
42nd Street welcomes these commitments but also recognises that the system needs clear and sustainable implementation plans and accountability measures, supported by a diverse, well-sourced, well-trained high-quality workforce. This is all set within the context of major national plans to restructure NHSE and the Department of Health and Social Care and changes around the strategic commissioning role of Integrated Care Boards, the devolved settlement to GMCA and the governance and decision-making infrastructure across Greater Manchester’s 10 Local Authorities, NHS Trusts and the VCSFE.
The national proposals in relation to Young Futures hubs have great potential to achieve change, if implemented effectively and in recognition of the psycho-social pressures experienced by young people alongside diagnosable mental health issues. Success will require a blend of traditional and non-traditional clinical and non-clinical approaches, 42nd Street supports the Coalitions recommendations to:
- Commission an independent review into the rise in prevalence in children and young people’s mental health that has a statutory footing and appoint a cross-government, cabinet level taskforce on babies, children and young people’s mental health to oversee the delivery of any recommendations made
- To increase investment in children and young people’s mental health services, with a commitment to meet 70% diagnosable need by the end of this Parliament
- To develop a comprehensive children and young people’s mental health workforce plan
It is now more urgent than ever that we develop cross sector, cross industry responses that transforms mental health and wellbeing support for young people bringing partners together from the VCSE, health, social care, education, the creative industries, sport and leisure, businesses and, of course, the young people- the experts- themselves.
The existing complex, siloed mental health system with long waits, clinical thresholds and alienating referral processes does not always feel welcoming or accessible for many young people, particularly those that do not identify with it and/or are experiencing cultural, economic and social barriers; they may never find the help that they need.
42nd Street has always operated as an effective “safety net” within the wider health, social care and education system, catching and supporting young people that need professional, personalised and relevant support. This generation is navigating a complex world as they transition into young adulthood; with new challenges to negotiate including climate change, global pandemics, identity politics, social media and intersectional discrimination. 42nd Street’s plans need to reflect and respond to their experiences, we need to continue to listen to young people themselves and advocate for support that prevents and de-escalates and is agile, relevant and works.”
Simone Spray, CEO, 42nd Street
