There’s never been a more important time than now. The growing and unmet demand in mental health services means many are struggling to get essential help. These services should be free at the point of need, allowing people to get support before their problems escalate.
The UK Government are holding a consultation on their proposals for mental health support over the next decade in England. We want to make a strong case for increased accessibility for the people who need it most. But we need your help, please sign our petition by Thursday 7 July and add your voice to our campaign.
We know counselling can changes lives. Our 60,000 members are a skilled workforce ready to help deliver this support. Increased investment would give better access to a range of psychological therapies, including counselling and psychotherapy. Extra funding would also support the counselling professions and we hope lead to more paid opportunities for our members.
In our response to the 10 Year Mental Health Strategy consultation, we’re strongly urging the Government to consider our five key asks. We believe these asks will help to steer the nation through challenging times. Our five key asks are:
- expand the counselling and psychotherapy workforce within the NHS and explore new opportunities for service delivery through integrated care systems.
- invest in a trained and professional counsellor in every secondary school, college and community hub in England
- provide access to high quality and culturally sensitive services to people from marginalised community backgrounds and those at greatest risk of psychological distress
- increase workplace counselling support to help people deal with the personal, financial and work pressures which often lead to poor mental health, as well as enhancing support for those returning to work, preparing for retirement or seeking employment
- improve access and choice of therapy through investment in local community-based counselling services
How you can help
Your help is vital to making this happen. We need as many of you as possible to support our petition to highlight to Government why this investment is so crucial. Please add your voice by signing our petition by Thursday 7 July. Your support adds greater weight when we take these proposals to Government and helps us advocate for greater help for those who need it most.
