Concern for the mental health of Rugby's school children after more than a year of lockdown measures

Rugby council officers have identified five key problems faced by residents, including damage to mental health in school pupils caused by isolation, financial struggles and concerns over redundancies.

The five problems were compiled in a Rugby council report intended to examine the future of the council's grant system.

Of particular concern was the mental health of school-age Rugbeians, with a focus on how lockdown measures have affected their mental wellbeing.

They consist of: "High degrees of social isolation and loneliness noted throughout the pandemic (shielding hub and customer contact centre).

"The Citizens Advice Bureau reporting issues of increased presentations from younger people that have not previously engaged with advice services or the benefits system. The most common issues are - worries about potential redundancy, financial inclusion and increased pressures on families that were already struggling before the pandemic.

"Skills gaps to get into jobs that are potentially available locally have been noted.

"Mental health of younger people is an issue given the prolonged periods of isolation. There were already reports of increased self-harm amongst secondary school students, in some parts of the borough, ahead of the pandemic.

"The healthy eating programmes administered by the council has highlighted i) a lack of budgeting and cooking skills ii) high dependency on microwave and take away food iii) lack of awareness of some foods / food groups."

Partly based on the above, the officers' report argues that Rugby council's grant system should have ringfences on funding removed so grants can be given to schemes that best address the above issues.

Read the report in full by downloading the agenda at www.rugby.gov.uk/meetings/meeting/1233/council and scrolling to page 8 of 81.