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Young people in Greater Manchester are set to benefit from a new mental health pilot, after the area was chosen by the NHS Greater Manchester Care Board.

The programme, called Care Together, aims to embed mental health professionals from existing NHS services into children’s social care teams, improving their access to mental health support. This means that children and young people who are supported by social care – as well as their families, carers and/or guardians – will have faster and simpler access to health and social care support.

“For too long, fragmented mental health services have left young people in care, care leavers, parents, carers, and guardians not knowing where to turn for support,” said Dame Diana Johnson, Minister of State for Public Health and Patient Safety. “We are committed to changing how we support young people, and this exciting and innovative pilot will see thousands more children across Greater Manchester get specialist mental health support based on their personal needs and in quicker time, before they reach crisis point.”

The pilot is set to launch in early 2027 and run until 2029, during which time an evaluation will be carried out to assess the potential to scale the programme up across other areas of the country.