Social Work Scotland response to Scottish Parliament call for views on Pre-budget scrutiny 2026-27: Prioritisation of the mental health budget
August 2025
Introduction
Social Work Scotland is the professional body for social work leaders, working closely with our partners to shape policy and practice, and improve the quality and experience of social services. We welcome the opportunity to provide a response to the call for views on the pre-budget scrutiny 2026-27 and the prioritisation of the mental health budget.
Background
The Scottish Parliament’s Committee invited stakeholder perspectives on the current allocation of mental health funding, with a particular focus on preventative spending, investment priorities, and the decision-making processes that shape budget distribution.
In 2023–24, mental health services in Scotland received £1.5 billion in funding, approximately 9% of the total NHS budget. While this figure suggests a significant commitment, questions remain about whether this investment is appropriately targeted to meet the diverse and evolving mental health needs across the country. Indeed, it is still not at the 10% level which was proposed would be spent on mental health services by the end of parliament[1].
Public Health Scotland categorises preventative activities into three tiers: primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. These classifications offer a framework for evaluating how spending supports early intervention and long-term wellbeing.
The Scottish Government’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy outlines their key priorities for investment:
- Improving access to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and psychological therapies
- Reducing waiting time backlogs
- Expanding support for individuals in distress
- Advancing suicide prevention efforts
- Strengthening community-based mental health and wellbeing support for children, young people, and adults
Social Work Scotland and our members have prepared this response which explores the current state of mental health spending in Scotland, critically examining whether the level and distribution of funding are appropriate to meet the needs of individuals and communities. We highlight systemic issues such as the overemphasis on crisis intervention, underinvestment in preventative and community-based services, and a lack of transparency in budget allocation.
Our response advocates for a rebalancing of investment priorities, improved data and evaluation frameworks, and a more holistic, person-centred approach to mental health care that empowers local communities and values early intervention.
The call for views presented 6 questions with regards the current levels of mental health spending which are presented below, along with the responses from Social Work Scotland and our members.
[1] https://www.snp.org/policies/pb-are-the-snp-investing-in-mental-health/
