Written question asked by Charles Walker (Conservative) on Tuesday, 30 March 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 6 April 2010. It was answered by Baroness Primarolo (Labour) on Thursday, 8 April 2010 on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Children: Mental Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what account the Targeted Mental Health in Schools programme takes of needs related to emotional well-being of children with (a) a learning disability, (b) an autistic spectrum disorder, (c) a physical disability and (d) a sensory disability.

Answer: The Targeted Mental Health in Schools Programme (TaMHS) builds on the existing universal approaches to supporting emotional well-being that schools are already using, such as SEAL, by offering targeted therapeutic interventions for individuals or groups of children at risk of developing mental health problems. Funded by the DCSF by £60 million from 2008 to 2011, all local authorities are now involved in offering the programme within school clusters that are participating. The inclusion of special schools is particularly encouraged within the conditions of grant.TaMHS is focused on identifying the children who may be vulnerable to mental health issues and need additional support, and offering them appropriate evidence-based interventions. While the programme is not designed to replicate or replace other funded support (such as through a statement of SEN) all children's needs should be considered equally when identifying who should be offered targeted interventions through TaMHS. Each child's individual circumstances, including whether they have additional needs, and any funded support that they already receive, will be taken into account when deciding what additional support or interventions might be most appropriate.

Secondary information