The King’s Speech has included an ambitious set of progressive bills, which we hope will improve access and choice to mental health services and greater opportunities for the counselling profession.

The traditional parliamentary event saw the new Labour Government outline the laws it wants to introduce in its first parliamentary term. 

These included on areas including: banning conversion practices, reforming the Mental Health Act, improving mental health support for children and ensuring mental health has the same focus as physical health. 

Children and young people 

We’re thrilled that the mental health of children and young people was highlighted as being a priority for the Government. 

This includes the announcement of a bill that will promote children’s wellbeing while improving educational standards.  

The Government aims to create new partnerships to support ‘at-risk teenagers’ via Young Futures Hubs. These hubs will provide mental health support, including counselling.  

This comes alongside the commitment made in Labour’s manifesto to put mental health services in schools. 

We’ve campaigned for children and young people to receive improved mental health support through the Fund the Hubs campaign. 

We’ve also previously advised Labour on mental health in school policies and look forward to continuing to support them in achieving their mental health policy objectives for children and young people.  

Conversion practices ban 

We’ve long campaigned for legislation to outlaw abhorrent conversion practices and we're pleased the Government has committed to drafting a Bill to ban conversion therapy in England and Wales.  

The Government has stated that a ban on conversion therapy “must not cover legitimate psychological support, treatment, or non-directive counselling. It must also respect the important role that teachers, religious leaders, parents and carers can have in supporting those exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity.” 

We remain fully committed to championing a ban that is inclusive and ends these unethical, harmful and ineffective practices, protecting all individuals who are at risk of harm.   

It’s critically important that any proposed ban is effective and workable and it doesn't lead to unintended consequences around therapists’ ability to work with gender and sexually diverse clients.   

We’ll continue to engage with lawmakers and politicians from all sides to secure much needed practical and effective protection. 

Parity of esteem 

The King’s Speech introduced a range of pledges around NHS support, including reducing waiting times, focusing on prevention, and improving mental health provision for young people.  

We’re grateful that so many of the recommendations made in both our manifesto and our recent Cost of living report are reflected in these plans for Government.  

We’re pleased to see the King’s Speech has pledged that mental and physical health receive “the same attention and focus”. 

Parity of esteem for mental and physical health is another of our principal policy asks and was included in our recent manifesto.  

It’s imperative that we see greater investment allowing a wider range of interventions and an expanded workforce including counsellors and psychotherapists.  

Reform of the Mental Health Act 

The King’s Speech also commits to a much-needed modernisation of the Mental Health Act. Critical reforms would include ensuring that those who are detained under the Act have greater choice, autonomy, rights and support, and make sure all patients are treated with dignity and respect throughout their treatment.  

Service users will have more say in what treatments they receive. This echoes our manifesto call for an increased choice of mental health treatments, including counselling, and for patient preferences to be better prioritised.  

In criminal justice settings, the modernised Bill will also ensure that police stations and prisons are no longer used as places of safety under the Mental Health Act. This will help ensure that those experiencing a mental health crisis or with severe mental health needs are supported in the most appropriate setting. The Government will also legislate for offenders with severe mental health problems to have access to vital care as early as possible.  

The Bill will also attempt to reduce the number of lives lost to suicide. The Labour Government says it hopes that fixing the mental health system will lead to a reduction in suicide rates. 

Anti-social behaviour and victim support 

Through a Victims, Courts and Public Protection Bill, the Government will ensure that victims of crime and anti-social behaviour receive support.  

A duty will also be created for “local partners to co-operate to tackle anti-social behaviour, with an anti-social behaviour lead in every local authority area”. This could be a key opportunity to provide vital mental health support to improve the lives of those who engage in antisocial behaviour, and the public who are impacted by it.  

Labour aims to halve violence against women and girls. Working to reduce the mental ill health that can be foundational to violence and discrimination – and the recovery of its victims - presents another key opportunity for our members’ expertise to bring about positive change and safety for vulnerable individuals.  

Martin Bell, our Head of Policy and Public Affairs, said:  

“We hope these policy commitments will strengthen mental health support for all and help begin to curb the mental health crisis that is affecting too many individuals, communities and businesses. 

“At the heart of these changes is an important commitment to empowering patient choice, through a commitment to parity of esteem between mental health and physical health, alongside a modernised Mental Health Bill. We hope that there will be greater investment to expand the range of interventions available and ensure greater opportunities for our members to help address growing and unmet need. 

“The important pledge around a Draft Conversion Practices Bill is also a promising step in the right direction. We’re committed to working with Government to ensure any legislation is effective, and workable and should not lead to unintended consequences around therapists’ ability to work with gender and sexually diverse clients. 

“We’ll work closely with Government and opposition parties to ensure these important policy commitments are delivered and that counselling and psychotherapy plays its part within the change agenda signified in today's King’s Speech and in Labour’s manifesto.”