It's high time Government was held accountable for the crisis in mental health provision.

4.51pm - Mrs Sharon Hodgson (Washington and Sunderland West) (Lab)

It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Harris. I congratulate the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Jo Gideon) on securing this important debate and giving us the opportunity to discuss the next wave of dormant assets and the possibility of establishing a community wealth fund.

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In-school Counselling, Commons Chamber on 9th November 2021.



Sharon Hodgson MP spoke in a debate in the the House of Commons Chamber, brought by The Rt. Hon Nick Brown MP, on school-based counselling services provision.

A silent epidemic is sweeping through our schoolchildren in poor mental health.  For some children, school is a solace from difficulties at home.

In-school counselling services help children cope with a broad range of emotional pressures and reduce chronic mental health problems.  Only around 61% of schools in the UK benefit from a counselling service, a sad deficit which the Tory Government must address.

Watch Sharon's speech during this debate >

Sharon has shown her support for the NSPCC’s ‘It’s Time’ campaign after hearing about the scale of abuse young people in the UK experience, and the problems many face getting the kind of help that can turn their lives around at a recent NSPCC’s reception in Parliament.

Sharon at the NSPCC's 'It's Time' campaign reception with Patrick Cantellow, a Youth Ambassador for the NSPCC.

Sharon heard first-hand from young people who have shaped this campaign that according to a recent survey of professionals working with these children, all too often children who have been abused develop chronic mental health problems, are suicidal or self-harm before therapeutic services become available to them.

One of the young people who sat on the campaign advisory group, ‘A Force for Change’, said that support should be provided “at the point of need not the point of crisis”.

Following the reception, Sharon said:

“It is important that we work together, both here in Parliament and with the wider public, so that we can develop a child-centred strategy that ensures children and young people are resilient to the harmful abuse they may be victim to in the formative years of their lives.

“That is why I welcome and support the NSPCC’s ‘It’s Time’ campaign which calls on the Government to offer more support to children and young people, set out a clearer vision on what we can do to support abused children and improve evidence for therapeutic support. Instead of letting abused children languish, we should be offering them the support necessary to lead happy and fulfilling lives, free of abuse.”

You can find out more about the campaign here.

Sharon spoke to the Washington Mind 13:25 Conference on shaping mental health services for children and young people.