Evelyn Forde, ASCL president, will condemn the Government for the erosion of children’s support services over the past decade.

In a speech to more than 1,000 headteachers and principals at the union’s annual conference on Friday, Ms. Forde will say that schools and colleges have been left “to pick up the pieces”. Her comments come as an ASCL survey suggests the majority of school and college leaders believe children’s support services are “inadequate”.

Headteachers who were surveyed reported providing additional mental health and counselling support, employing their own educational psychologists, and providing food banks and uniforms for children in an effort to fill the gaps.

The ASCL survey, of 1,120 headteachers and principals in state schools and colleges across England, Wales and Northern Ireland in February, found that 99% said children’s mental health services were inadequate and 96% said children’s social care services were inadequate.

The Government, on the other hand, recognized challenges many families face in accessing education, health and basic care, and pledged to invest £16.6 million per year for the next two years for virtual school heads to provide dedicated educational support to children with a social worker, providing £79 million for children and young people’s mental health services, and investing £21 million for up to 400 more educational psychologists over the next two years.

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