The Department of Education in Northern Ireland has eliminated the Healthy Happy Minds programme, a mental health and counselling service for primary school students. The programme operated from November 2021 to June 2022, and more than 19,000 children benefited in its first year. Despite objections from senior civil servants, Michelle McIlveen had issued two separate ministerial directives to maintain the programme.
More than 10% of schoolchildren received counselling or therapy through the Healthy Happy Minds programme, according to departmental statistics. The programme offered counselling, play, art, music, and equine therapy to students in need. With no minister in place as a result of the dissolution of the Stormont executive, officials ended funding for the programme on March 31 in an effort to save money given the pressures on the education budget.
Katie Sparham, an experienced therapist who worked with schools as part of the Healthy Happy Minds initiative, stated that she had assisted students who had experienced trauma, anxiety, bullying, and loss. She expressed her dismay at the conclusion of the programme, stating, “The school principals are utterly devastated and heartbroken.” She added that children were placed on waiting lists for assistance and that “it was a financial decision only.”
Due to a “funding gap” of over £300 million just to “stand still,” the Northern Ireland Fiscal Council has warned of significant cuts to departmental spending in 2023-24. This is a result of the conclusion of the Engage programme, which allowed over 400 schools to hire additional teachers to provide additional assistance to some students following the Covid-19 pandemic.
The termination of the Healthy Happy Minds programme is a devastating loss for Northern Ireland’s elementary schoolchildren. Even with ministerial intervention, it is difficult for vulnerable children to access mental health services in Northern Ireland. It is uncertain whether additional efforts will be made to address the issue and provide support for children in need, given the impending budget cuts.
