Schools (Mental Health Professionals) Bill [HL]

This bill aims to require schools in England to have access to mental health professionals, such as counsellors or psychologists, to support student wellbeing. It seeks to embed mental health support into the school system as a standard provision, rather than relying on external NHS services or patchwork arrangements. The bill would place a statutory duty on schools to ensure these services are available to pupils. This responds to concerns about rising rates of mental health problems in young people and long waiting times for NHS mental health services.