Why We Are So Passionate About Getting Help Early

Every week, we meet children and young people who are struggling with anxiety, emotional distress, low self-esteem, grief, family difficulties, school avoidance and overwhelming feelings they do not yet have the words to explain.

What often stays with us is not only what they are experiencing now, but how long they have been carrying it alone.

A recent NSPCC insight briefing highlighted the significant impact that long waiting lists for health and mental health support can have on children and young people. Children described worsening mental health, difficulties coping with everyday life, struggles with education, increased isolation and a growing sense of hopelessness while waiting for support. NSPCC Learning

Sadly, these findings do not surprise us.

At The Matthew Hackney Foundation, we regularly see the difference that timely support can make. We also see what can happen when support arrives too late.

Children do not suddenly reach crisis point overnight.

Anxiety often begins as a small worry. Low mood may initially look like tiredness or withdrawal. School avoidance may start with a stomach ache in the morning. Behaviour that appears challenging can often be a child communicating distress in the only way they know how.

When these early signs are recognised and support is available, children have a much greater opportunity to understand their feelings, build coping strategies and develop resilience before difficulties become more severe.

When support is delayed, problems can escalate.

The NSPCC briefing highlights how waiting for help can affect relationships, education and wellbeing. Some young people described struggling with daily life while waiting for services, while parents reported feeling overwhelmed trying to support their child without professional help.

Nationally, demand for children's mental health support continues to rise. The Children's Commissioner for England reported that almost one million children and young people were referred to mental health services in England in 2022–23, with over 270,000 still waiting for support and nearly 373,000 having their referral closed before accessing treatment. Children's Commissioner

These statistics represent real children, real families and real communities.

That is why early intervention sits at the heart of everything we do.

Through our fully funded school-based counselling across Surrey, part-funded self-referral counselling, early intervention workshops and community drop-in support, we aim to provide children, young people and families with access to help before difficulties escalate into crisis.

Schools are often where changes are first noticed. A child may become quieter, more withdrawn, struggle to concentrate, become anxious about attending school or find it difficult to regulate their emotions. By providing counselling within schools, support can be accessed in a familiar environment, removing some of the barriers that can prevent children receiving help.

We have seen children who were previously unable to attend school gradually rebuild confidence and return to education. We have supported young people who felt unable to talk about difficult experiences begin to express their feelings safely. We have watched children develop emotional regulation skills that help them manage challenges both in school and at home.

These changes may seem small to some, but for a child they can be life-changing.

Early intervention is not simply about responding to difficulties. It is about creating opportunities for children to thrive.

It is about helping a child understand that anxiety does not define them.

It is about giving a young person a safe space to process grief, trauma or overwhelming emotions.

It is about helping families feel less alone.

It is about reducing the likelihood that challenges will grow into more serious mental health crises requiring intensive support later.

The evidence increasingly shows that children and young people need access to support earlier, closer to their communities and before they reach breaking point. Mental health professionals, educators and charities across the country continue to call for greater investment in early intervention and preventative services.

We share that belief wholeheartedly.

Every child deserves the opportunity to be heard.

Every child deserves access to support when they need it, not months or years later.

And every child deserves the chance to grow into a strong, resilient and thriving adult.

That is why we remain so passionate about getting help early.

Sources

• NSPCC Learning – Young People's Experiences of Waiting Lists NSPCC Waiting Lists Insight Briefing

• NSPCC Learning – Early Help and Early Intervention NSPCC Early Intervention Guidance

• Children's Commissioner for England – Over a Quarter of a Million Children Still Waiting for Mental Health Support Children's Commissioner Report

• Children's Commissioner for England – Children's Mental Health Services 2022–23 Children's Mental Health Services Report