A FORMER teacher has slammed the “gross underfunding” of mental health services for youngsters on the back of suicides in Billingham.

Cllr Barry Woodhouse said mental health funding had been “smashed to pieces” on Teesside as councillors looked back on review of suicide and self harm services in Stockton.

No fewer than 12 recommendations were drawn up and agreed by the 2018 probe by the Stockton people select committee.

One was to “strongly encourage” every local school and college to have a designated mental health leader ahead of the government’s target of 2025.

But the Labour member for Billingham Central hit out at the target – and called for action now.

Cllr Woodhouse said: “We’ve got kids committing suicide, self-harming in deprivation and desolation, and suffering from all kinds of illnesses – they’re talking about 2025, but that should have been mandatory from the end of 2019.

“It’s absolutely devastating to people. Everybody seems to be saying it will be done soon – it needs to be done now.

“Even now I come across kids whose arms are slashed – we had two or three from Billingham who committed suicide through various issues.

“For me, more urgent action and extra funding is needed.

“I know people do a great job but in my opinion it’s grossly understaffed and underfunded.”

The committee was also told there’d been “significant changes” to mental health and well-being services at schools in the past year.

A council report showed all secondary schools in Stockton borough now have “action plans” in place – and each has a “nominated lead” for emotional mental health and well-being.

Government funding for new mental health support teams is also being rolled out – but councillors heard this will only reach 20-25 per cent of schools nationally by 2022.

Meanwhile, Stockton has been approved as a “trailblazer” for an NHS programme to help mental health support teams at Billingham secondary schools.

The meeting report stated these support teams would help school staff and intervene when children had “mild to moderate” issues – such as anxiety, behaviour troubles or “friendship issues”.

Members were told funding for this was due to come next month.

After the updates, chairwoman Cllr Jean O’Donnell said pressure needed to be kept up to increase funding.

She added: “Barry is right, it’s totally underfunded and I keep worrying about the pressure on teachers to keep an eye open.

“It’s an added burden and I sometimes think they’ve got enough to cope with without being the watchdog of the mental health of our children.”