2021 Scottish Parliament election campaign

Our recommendations for a wellbeing society: Scotland deserves good mental health for all.

A Scotland where every child can thrive  

1. 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
2. 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
3. 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
4. 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  

1. 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
2. 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  

1. 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
2. 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
3. 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
4. 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  

1. 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
2. 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  

1. 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
2. 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