As I enter my final year as Children’s Commissioner, one thing is clear: before we make decisions that affect young people, we need to listen to young people. Children’s mental health is no exception. I am in no doubt that we are facing a crisis in young people’s mental health. The number of children with a referral to mental health services reached over a million – about 1 in 10 children – almost double the 564,000 in 2018-19.

The Independent review into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism’s interim report, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, has found an increased rate of mental health conditions and rising distress particularly among young people. In my census of schools and colleges the most cited concern about the local area was mental health services. The government’s reforms of the special educational needs and disabilities system recognise the current system isn’t working.