BPS welcomes publication of blueprint for Young Futures hubs

The government has committed to roll out Young Futures hubs, which the blueprint suggests could be based on similar early support hubs already in existence.

The blueprint has been published by the Children and Young People's Mental Health Coalition, of which the BPS is a member, and its partner organisations in the Fund the Hubs campaign.

Welcoming the report's recommendations, Dr Rachel Bradley, Chair of the BPS's Faculty for Children Young People and their Families, said:  

"With increasing numbers of children and young people experiencing a mental health difficulty, the scale of the challenge facing mental health services cannot be underestimated.

"Young Futures hubs could help address these difficulties. But as this blueprint lays out, the government does not have to 'reinvent the wheel'. Instead, there's an opportunity here to build on existing services in a way that involves young people and is responsive to their needs.

"We want to work with the government and the Coalition to ensure that every child and young person can access the vital help they need, when they need it, to support their mental health and wellbeing."

The Coalition's blueprint says the aims of Young Futures hubs align closely with the services that many pre-existing early support hubs are providing to young people and that the Young Futures hubs policy could build upon these.

The blueprint calls on the government to set out a roadmap to deliver a hub in every local authority area by 2035. 

It urges the government to use the upcoming spending review to commit to a multi-year funding package for the roll out of the hubs. 

The hubs should be centred on providing mental health and wellbeing as the core service for 10–25-year-olds, the blueprint says.

Young Futures hubs should be co-created with young people, who should be involved in all stages of service development and delivery at both a national and local level, it adds.

A blueprint for Young Futures hub