Developing a school team to improve links between education and mental health services

The school mental health teamis a relatively new service in Hackney, east London, set up in line with recent government recommendations. Its work is an outreach service of the tier 3 child and family consultation service. The team offers a child and adolescent mental health service to three pupil referral units, which schoolchildren attend when they have been excluded from or cannot attend mainstream school, and one special schooL It uses a different model from the traditional one of mental health professionals going into schools on a sessional basis for specific work. The team joins the teaching staff and becomes an integrated part of the school Results show positive outcomes for most children and young people who have used the service.