The Government announced its long term financial settlement for the National Health Service in June. This will represent an increase of £20.5 billion in real terms by 2023/24. The Government has asked the NHS to develop a long term plan which will set out a vision for the health service. The Government has been clear that better access to mental health services, to help achieve the Government’s commitment to parity of esteem between mental and physical health, is one of the principles which must underpin the plan. The 2018 Budget set out some of aspects of what the long term plan will contain, and further details will follow when the plan is published in due course. Work on developing mental health support teams for schools forms part of the work to implement the proposals set out in the Green Paper, transforming children and young people’s mental health provision. The first wave of recruitment for the Educational Mental Health Practitioners who will form part of these teams is now under way, and 210 people will take their places on specialist training courses from January. The intention is that these trainees will start working in schools during 2019. The initial local areas, or trailblazer sites, that will trial the Green Paper proposals will be announced in due course.