We’re supporting A blueprint for Young Futures Hubs that shows how the Government can provide more open access mental health support hubs, as a key step towards supporting children and young people in their own community.

The blueprint was developed with our partners as part of our ongoing Fund the Hubs1 campaign and launched this week via a roundtable event.

It's designed to support the various government departments in the design and development of Young Futures Hubs.

Hub in every local authority area

It calls on the Government to deliver on their manifesto pledge and set out a roadmap to deliver a hub in every local authority area, building on existing early support hubs. 

The blueprint includes insights gathered from the mental health sector, existing hub providers and young people, and sets out core values and principles to guide the roll out of the hubs.

It also provides seven steps that will help the Government to meet their target, while ensuring Young Futures Hubs are co-created with young people and centred on mental health and wellbeing.

Widespread mental health sector support

It’s received support from 39 local hub services and national children and young people's mental health organisations.

Jo Holmes, our Children, Young People and Families Lead, said: “We know first-hand the impact these hubs can have on young people, particularly racialised and marginalised young people who struggle to access support through other avenues.

“That’s why we welcomed the Government’s manifesto pledge to provide an early support hub in every community.

“We want to do everything we can to help these Young Futures Hubs deliver. We believe that the Government doesn’t need to re-invent the wheel – in fact, the aims of Young Futures hubs align closely with the services that many pre-existing early support hubs are already providing.

“With sustainable funding for existing hubs, alongside the development of new hubs in areas currently underserved, the Government can ensure that every young person has access to a trusted, welcoming support hub within their local community.

“We have more than 19,000 members who are trained to work therapeutically with children and young people. They’re ready to be part of the solution to the current children’s and young people’s mental health crisis.”

Download A blueprint for Young Futures Hubs.

References

1 The Fund the Hubs campaign was founded in 2020 and has been calling for a national network of early support hubs to be rolled out across the country, so that all young people can access timely support with their mental health. The campaign was developed in response to the growing mental health needs experienced by children and young people.

The organisations behind the Fund the Hubs campaign are the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, Centre for Mental Health, Youth Access, YoungMinds, Mind, The Children’s Society, Black Thrive Global and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.