Mental health counsellors in schools ‘save millions a year’

As reported by The Evening Standard, schools that provide children with one-to-one mental health counsellors save the taxpayer millions of pounds, a report suggests

An analysis of the Place2Be school counselling service found it generates up to £36million in benefits each year.

The research from Pro Bono Economics found Place2Be’s one-to-one counselling generates eight pounds in benefits for every one pound spent.

In primary schools across the UK it means it generates up to £36million in long-term benefits each year. These include higher wages and better employment outcomes for children in later life, as well as reduced costs to taxpayers from lower truancy and crime rates and less need for mental health support, the report said.

Rachel Gomez from Pro Bono said: “Children’s mental health in the UK is at crisis point. The latest NHS data suggests there are five primary schoolchildren in every classroom with a probable mental disorder.”