The publication of all Scottish party manifestos provides a clear indication of where our policy priorities are being recognised across the political landscape.

In total, 15 policy asks are reflected across the five main parties contesting the Scottish Parliament election.

Expanding the NHS mental health workforce in Scotland

Both Scottish Labour and the Scottish Liberal Democrats reflect our call to expand the NHS mental health workforce, increasing the number and range of mental health professionals working in primary care and GP settings.

The Liberal Democrats specifically highlight their intention to ‘incorporate counsellors into NHS workforce planning so their skills can help more people.’

Scottish Labour also proposes the establishment of a new emergency mental health support service, staffed by a range of mental health professionals, which we would expect to include our members. Labour additionally commits to improving access to self-referral pathways through expanding the use of evidence-based digital therapies.

The SNP focuses on expanding the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub to include psychological therapies, supported by an additional £3.5 million investment.

Reform UK emphasises prevention and the expansion of frontline NHS services in community and GP settings, but does not specify workforce composition.

Third sector funding and integration joint boards

There is strong support for sustainable multi-year funding for third sector providers from Scottish Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Greens.

The Scottish Greens also highlight their intention to provide adequate and sustainable funding to Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) to strengthen and expand community mental health provision over the next parliamentary term. This is particularly relevant given the impact of recent funding pressures on third sector services.

The Scottish Conservatives highlight their intention to prioritise funding for community-level veterans’ mental health support, which is expected to include counselling provision. The SNP proposes a new community mental health Crisis Intervention Fund, backed by an initial £1 million investment.

School counselling and support for children and young people

Commitments to expand the counselling offer in schools from both the SNP and the Scottish Greens are welcome, reflecting long-standing BACP and member advocacy.

A key consideration is the SNP proposal to maintain funding at £20 million per annum (2019 levels), which may present sustainability challenges in the current financial context and given cost-of-living pressures.

Scottish Labour and the Liberal Democrats do not specifically reference school counselling, but both propose strengthening mental health support in schools through increased professional input.

Community mental health hubs and local services

Several parties, including the SNP, Scottish Conservatives, Scottish Labour and the Scottish Greens, highlight plans to expand community-based mental health provision through new local mental health hubs, drawing on models such as The Nook in Glasgow and Thrive in Edinburgh.

The SNP has committed £100 million to rolling out this model over the next three years.

However, we would like to see clearer recognition of the role of counsellors within these services and will continue to raise this with partners, including Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH).

LGBTQ+ inclusion and conversion practices

We are pleased to see cross-party support for a ban on conversion practices in Scotland from the SNP, Scottish Labour, the Scottish Greens and the Scottish Liberal Democrats. We believe this would help protect LGBTQ+ people from harmful practices.

The SNP proposes introducing legislation within the first year of the new Parliament, with the aim of ensuring a ban is implemented even if UK-wide progress is not achieved.

Student counselling funding gap

The only area where there has been no clear political traction is our call to restore funding for student counselling services, which have been a vital support for many young people.

This remains an important issue, and we will continue to champion it alongside our partners in Scotland.

How members can support ahead of polling day

Steve Mulligan, our Four Nations Lead, said:

“As polling day approaches, we're asking our Scottish members to reach out to all candidates standing in their constituency using the letter on our campaign website, to help secure stronger support for counselling and psychotherapy in the next Parliament.”