EDUCATION leaders are anticipating an increase in mental health problems among young people in Herefordshire due to the effects of the coronavirus lockdown.

Assistant director for education development and skills at Herefordshire Council Ceri Morgan told councillors today that the council expects the impact of lockdowns to have had a negative effect on children’s mental health.

He told the children and young people scrutiny committee that the extent of the impact is still unknown given that pupils only went back to school after the third lockdown on March 8.

But there are early signs that the lockdown has had a detrimental effect on the language and social development of children which could also impact their mental health.

The council anticipates there will be an increase in the need for mental health services despite young people being quite resilient once they are back into a routine.

“Youngsters have only just come back into school after the third lockdown,” Mr Morgan said.

“The impact of the lockdown and pandemic on mental health is still a bit of an unknown.

“As children are in school for longer and the routines and practices become a bit more established for the children, disclosures and assessments for their needs by schools will grow.

“We are expecting the need to grow because of the pandemic.

“The media coverage about an epidemic of mental health needs is pretty bleak and yet we know young people are remarkably resilient once they are back in their routines.

“We don’t yet know but we expect a growth in demand in this are and a need for a greater focus and joint initiatives which are made to children.”

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He said the early indications from talking to schools over the last three weeks is that children are delighted to be back but there has been a dent in their resilience.

Mr Morgan also said younger children have had their language and social skills development delayed by the lockdown.

“They are tired, earlier in the day. There is a need for a different curriculum model in the near future.

He said the lockdown had substantially delayed the social interaction and language development of two to three-year-olds.

“Pre-school settings are being asked to consider the language and social development of children alongside their mental health needs.

“Likewise, in key stage 1, social and language delay which itself may lead to mental health support needs.

“Children get frustrated if they are not understood and if their language development is delayed, they are more likely to not be understood.

He also said there were also concerns over year five and six children who have had a remarkably disruptive education in the last few years.

The children and young people scrutiny committee agreed to call for an update on children and young people’s mental health to be presented at their next meeting in Septemeber.

They also called for a mental health and wellbeing seurvey be circulated among members once it has completed And they want council leaders to investigate the number of emotional literacy support assistants in local schools.

They also want cabient to work with schools to encourage the identification of safe spaces.