The children’s commissioner wants to see more funding and incentives for in-school counselling and other low-level mental health support. Pete Henshaw takes a look

Depending on where they live, children suffering from mental health problems face waiting times of up to four months for treatment – with one in three nationally not getting the help they need.

The state of children’s mental health services, a report from Anne Longfield, England’s children’s commissioner, says some progress has been made but that mental health provision is still the “poor relation” of NHS services, with a postcode lottery compounding problems.

Mental health spending per-child varies wildly by NHS area – from as much as £191 to as little as £14 – and the report warns that a significant number of children are missing out on treatment.

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