The Scottish Government has launched a new consultation on its ten year Mental Health Strategy – and we’re encouraging members to have their say.
The consultation aims to identify actions for the next five years, as well as widening the scope of the existing strategy to include mental wellbeing.
It will be underpinned by a new vision of “better mental health and wellbeing for all”.
Investment in counselling
Steve Mulligan, our Four Nations Lead, said: “We’ve been pleased to support the Scottish Government on their flagship investment in counselling across secondary schools, FE colleges and universities, which started in 2018 and delivers life-changing support to children and young people.
“For this new strategy, we’d like to see investment in counselling extended to address unmet need across all settings, ensuring greater access for all.
“We’re pleased to see clear recognition in the consultation document of counselling as an integral part of Scotland’s mental health workforce, acknowledgement of the critical role of the third sector and a much greater focus on addressing mental health inequalities for marginalised people and communities.
“We particularly welcome the proposals to improve conditions for Scotland’s mental health workforce, including greater access to professional supervision, opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD) and improved careers progression pathways.
“This element of the consultation will help inform a more detailed workforce plan that will be published in 2023 and it’s important that the voice of counselling is heard loud and clear to inform that process.”
Share your thoughts
We’re keen that members and counselling organisations engage with this important process.
We’ll share our consultation response with members in Scotland in August, to help inform your own consultation responses in advance of the submission deadline on 9 September.
We’re also keen to hear your views on what you’d like us to include in our final response as well as seeing your responses . Please share your thoughts and submissions with our Policy and Public Affairs Team by emailing: publicaffairs@bacp.co.uk