Southwark Council has pledged to protect The Nest, a vital mental health service for children and young people, preventing its scheduled closure in November 2026. The council's Executive met on Monday, July 20, 2026, to reaffirm its commitment to essential services for vulnerable residents.
Councillor Rebecca Corn, Executive Member for Education and Care, announced that referrals to The Nest will reopen as soon as possible, and without any unnecessary delay. A Gateway 2 report is scheduled for the next Executive meeting, outlining proposals for sustainable, multi-year funding. Contingency funding has been secured to ensure that young people currently accessing the service can complete their programmes, and those on the waiting list will also be able to start and finish their support. The summer programme organised by The Nest will proceed as planned.
During the meeting, David Quirk Thornton, Strategic Director for Children and Adults, provided details on the funding arrangements for The Nest. He explained that the service was initially fully funded by the council. Over time, the NHS, South East London ICB, began contributing due to increased referrals, indicating that the service was improving outcomes for young people and that NHS colleagues were increasingly referring patients. The contract expired in May 2026, and negotiations for future funding were ongoing. He confirmed that interim funding has been secured for current and waiting list participants, as well as for the summer programme.
Questions were raised about the removal of a contract renewal item for The Nest from the council's forward plan. Officers clarified that the item was removed in February because funding had not been secured, and Gateway reports can only proceed when governance is assured and funding is in place.
