A cash boost of £2.5 million for youth work services in Wales is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to tackle the ever-growing mental health crisis.
Labour’s Education Minister has said the extra money will be used to improve the resources and youth work services available to young people.
But whilst the additional money is welcome, the Welsh Conservatives have warned Labour ministers that they need to ramp up their efforts to tackle Wales’ dire mental health problems.
Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Mental Health, James Evans MS, said:
“Any money that goes towards helping our struggling young people is welcome, but this extra cash will only scratch the surface of Wales’ constantly spiralling mental health crisis.
“We have nearly 500 children waiting more than four weeks for a first appointment with mental health specialists, and during 2020/21 nearly 1,300 children and young people were taken to hospital for self-harming issues.
“Labour ministers in Cardiff Bay need to focus on cutting those atrocious waiting times and ramp up their efforts to put extra support in place by setting up 24/7 mental health crisis centres and introducing an updated Mental Health Act before things get worse.”