What is the Counselling in Schools Service?
Service aims
1. To provide qualified and quality assured counsellors/arts’ therapists to support the emotional / mental health and well being of Children and Young people in Hertfordshire.
2. To provide a safe, confidential space that allows children and young people to explore issues that they may be having, work through them by developing positive coping strategies, empower them to find a voice and enable them to build strong relationships at home and school.
3. To keep the child and young person at the centre of the service and the work that we deliver.
Age group
The Service currently works with Children and Young People aged 5 – 19 years attending an educational establishment in Hertfordshire. The service will work with a child or young person who has been excluded.
Why have counselling in a School?
Like most of us children and young people can find that their ability to concentrate and / or their behaviour is affected when they are trying to deal with difficult issues. Allowing them a safe, confidential space to explore these issues can enable them to achieve their full potential both personally and academically.
The Children’s Right Alliance for England (CRAE) “What do they know?” report identified that out of 138 children and young people interviewed 82% felt that counselling services should be available to them. Over three quarters of these children and young people thought that Counselling should be based within a school.
What are the benefits of providing Counselling/Arts Therapy for pupils?
For pupils the benefits can include:
- Improved self-esteem
- Reducing the risk of exclusion
- Improvements in behaviour and / or attendance
- Improved peer relationships
- Better attainment / achievement
What are the benefits of buying in the Counselling in Schools Service?
The Counselling in Schools Service provides the following benefits:
- Ten years of experience in delivering counselling in school settings
- Hertfordshire wide coverage
- Experienced staff with a range of therapeutic tools e.g. play therapy skills
- Experience of providing therapy to children / young people with additional needs
- Annual or Short Term contracts to allow consistency / flexibility of provision
- Ability to respond quickly in a crisis
- Ability to follow a child or young person through educational establishments in
Hertfordshire e.g. Primary to Secondary to support transition
- INSET training for staff
- Established policies and procedures for implementing service provision and maintaining quality assurance
- Service delivery supports a range of local strategies Children and Young People’s plan and Emotional Health and Well-being (CAMHS) strategy for Hertfordshire
- Links with universal, targeted and specialist services to provide support to child /young person and schools where appropriate i.e. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
The Features of the Service
The counselling service provides the following features:-
Quality Assurance:
- The service ensures that all therapeutic staff are fully qualified to Counselling Diploma level and Arts Therapists to Masters Level
- Relevant enhanced checks are undertaken and updated on a regular basis for all service staff
- Ensuring all Counsellors/Arts Therapists receive regular supervision with a qualified clinical supervisor
- Outcomes for the Children and Young People accessing the Service are recorded and monitored.
Range of Services Available:
- Counselling *
- Art Therapy
- Drama Therapy
- Group work
Coming soon:
- Training for School Staff
- Family Work
- Counselling for School Staff
* Counsellors have skills in therapeutic play to enhance their skills when working with the younger age group/children and young people with communication difficulties.
Timely Access to Emotional Health and Well Being Support
We aim to respond to initial enquiries within two working days. The time taken to set up the service within a school / schools will depend on the size of the contract and capacity within the service at the time of the request. In order to accommodate need we strive to offer a limited service whilst a new therapist is recruited.
Flexibility of Service Provision
- Range of contracts available (minimum of a term)
- Range of professionals available to better meet individual needs of children and young people.
Involvement of Service Users / Referrers in Developing and Improving Services
- Development of a new service logo by children and young people
- Children and young people involvement with the creation of new service leaflets
- Post counselling evaluation questionnaires
Information Booklets
For more information about the Counselling in Schools Service, please see the booklets below: -
Counselling in Schools Information for Professionals
Counselling in Schools Information for Parents
For further information or to discuss your requirements, please contact the Counselling in Schools Team on 01992 588796
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