Our recommendations for a wellbeing society: Scotland deserves good mental health for all.
A Scotland where every child can thrive
- The Scottish Government should embed Mental Health Education (MHE) within the Curriculum for Excellence, giving every pupil the tools to protect and improve their mental health and tackle stigma
- Every child at risk of poverty, exclusion or adversity should benefit from an evidence-based mentoring programme based on the “one good adult” model, helping every child to succeed regardless of their circumstances
- A new Health and Wellbeing Fund should be established to help Head Teachers invest in pupil wellbeing in the aftermath of Covid-19. The fund will aim to reduce prevalence of emotional distress through evidence-based peer-to-peer programmes, youth work and family support initiatives
- Investment in providing parents and primary caregivers with the confidence to support their children during key stages of their child’s development should be significantly expanded
Fast access to support
- To meet rising demand and tackle waiting lists the Scottish Government should deliver transformational investment in community mental health through a rapid expansion of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Social Prescribing, Exercise Referral Schemes and Peer Support
- The Scottish Government should pilot a “Mental Health Guarantee” for people with mild to moderate mental health problems where person-centred support will be offered within six weeks
Building a wellbeing society for all
- Within two years the Scottish Government should publish its first Wellbeing Budget with radical measures to end poverty and prevent a COVID-19 unemployment crisis
- A Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill should be introduced to provide not only the ambition, but a statutory duty on all public bodies to improve social, cultural, environmental and economic wellbeing
- A Future of Work Commission should be established to help ensure that post-pandemic labour practices support mental wellbeing. The Commission should explore the benefits of a four-day working week to wellbeing and introduce measures to reduce job insecurity
- Everyone in Scotland should have the right to a safe, warm and affordable home. The Scottish Government should build 50,000 new social homes to address Scotland’s chronic housing shortage and to reduce homelessness
Redoubling our efforts to tackle suicide
- In response to a rising suicide rate, the Scottish Government should double suicide prevention spending and introduce a ten-year public health driven action plan, backed by £20 million
- A national support service for families bereaved by suicide should be rolled out upon completion of existing pilots so that those bereaved receive the timely support they need
Empowering communities
- The Scottish Government should introduce a Community Recovery Fund for the next four years, building on the £350 million announced in September 2020, to empower communities to recover from the pandemic, including initiatives that tackle social isolation
- A Green Spaces Strategy should be introduced to guarantee safe and accessible green spaces for all to transform Scotland’s relationship with the outdoors and improve health outcomes