Item 11 - Services for Children, Young People and Families Schools Conselling Provision in West Dunbartonshire Council Schools
West Dunbartonshire Council · 27 November 2024
Back to Educational Services Committee — 27 November 2024 and its agenda
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WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL Report by Laura Mason, Chief Education Officer Educational Services Committee: 12th December 2024 ___________________________________________________________________ Subject: Services for Children, Young People and Families Schools Counselling Provision in WDC schools 1. Purpose 1.1 The purpose of this report is: a) to inform on approaches to providing School Counselling Services and b) to seek approval to go to tender for these services. 2. Recommendations 2.1 Members of the Educational Services Committee are asked to: a) Note approaches and need for counselling and b) Agree undertaking of procurement processes to secure a counselling provider to continue to support and meet the needs of our children and young people within WDC schools. 3. Background 3.1 In September 2018, the Scottish Government (SG) committed to invest over £60 million in additional school counselling services across Scotland and in so doing create around 350 counsellors in school education ensuring that every Secondary School had counselling services. 3.2 The government made a further commitment in May 2020, to provide access to ”high quality and effective counselling support” through schools for children aged 10 and over, in partnership with local government and with “full delivery expected by September 2020”. 3.3 West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) sought to secure Counselling providers within the budget allocated by SG, to meet the criteria set for the funding and provide a quality service delivery to our children and young people aged 10 and over within our local context. WDC secured LIfelink as a counselling provider for mild to moderate presentations in Secondary Schools. Lifelink Counsellors were allocated to schools based on identified needs. Erskine Crisis is a local provider offering support for moderate to severe presentations. Togetherall offering online 24/7 access to Mental Health and wellbeing support for all young people in WDC aged 16+ to 24. In addition the services commissioned for the provision of counselling had to ensure all counsellors were ITEM 11
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members of the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapy (BACP) or Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland (COSCA). 3.4 Human rights are universal, interdependent and interconnected. Article 24 of the UNCRC is explicit in setting out the rights of all children and young people to the highest attainable standard of health (which includes mental health) as well as access to services to support this. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) has stated in General Comment No. 153 that the realisation of the right to health is indispensable for the enjoyment of all other rights in the UNCRC. In addition, achieving children’s right to health is dependent on the realisation of many other rights outlined in the Convention and in other human rights instruments. The provision of schools counselling services meets this rights based approach. 3.5 Public Health Scotland’s June 2022 report on the impact of Covid on children’s mental health shows that a substantial proportion of young children, parents and carers perceive the pandemic to have had a negative impact on child and family health, wellbeing and development. It also noted that the impacts appear to have been felt to a greater extent in families from low-income households, who may already have been struggling before the pandemic. A recent Scottish Government paper noted that 83% of young people with pre-existing mental illness said the pandemic had made their condition worse, often attributed to school closures with loss of routine and access to usual supports(Children’s and Young People's Commissioner Scotland). 3.6 In addition to schools counselling WDC Education have continued to forge joint collaborative work with Health colleagues to ensure a broad and holistic support to children and young people's Mental Health and Wellbeing. This collaboration has ensured that the Scottish Government's Mental Health Strategy is fulfilled at a local level supporting holistic and sustainable interventions for children, young people and families as we seek to achieve positive outcomes for all. 4. Main Issues 4.1 From July to 2023 to March 2024, 487 children in WDC High Schools accessed School Counselling. The main presentations referred to the supporting services were Anxiety, Anger and Family issues, with secondary presenting issues identified and supported through the counselling sessions. Most children and young people complete their therapeutic journey in 6-10 counselling sessions. At the end of the block of counselling sessions some from questionnaires returned rated their experience of counselling very positively as 8.71 (where 10 is extremely helpful). 4.2 Counselling in schools is having a positive impact. The Scottish Government Report published 2022 noted “Where outcomes have
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been provided in percentage terms, they range from 88% to 100% of children and young people having reported improved outcomes. In addition to the positive improved outcomes figures, anecdotal evidence suggests the counselling service is a beneficial service to children and young people.” However there is more to be done. In WDC we have established very good working relationships with our providers to ensure we have a flexible service responding to need. This allows us to move resources to support any growing waiting lists for counselling. Currently every school has a waiting list. 4.3 WDC are now at a point where one of their counselling Providers, Lifelink’s contract is coming to an end on 31/03/25 and in collaboration with Procurement, Education now needs to go out to open tender to secure another provider who will be based in our secondary schools, to ensure there are no gaps in the ongoing provision to our children and young people. Any such gaps in provision would prevent children and young people's rights and needs being met. In addition a gap would mean would increase and a backlog of cases to be allocated and support will take longer to access. It would mean our children, young people and families would not be supported and may be disadvantaged. We are requesting committee approval to proceed with this. 5. People Implications 5.1 There are no WDC people implications as a direct result of this report. 6. Financial and Procurement Implications 6.1 The projected funding required for Scottish Schools Counselling is in place. To support the introduction of school counsellors the SG provided £12m in 2019/20 and £16m in each of the three years to 2022/23. Thereafter funding for counsellors has been baselined in the local government settlement. WDC share of this funding prior to being baselined was £226k and £294k in each of the three years to 2022/23 7. Risk Analysis 7.1 If the Council is unable to ensure appropriate support to children and young people, we will not be meeting their needs under the terms of the Children and Young People Act 2014 (Equalities Act 2010). 7.2 If the Council is unable to ensure appropriate support for all children, young people and staff this could result in reputational damage. 8. Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA)
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8.1 Equalities Impact Assessment, Approved 2/09/24 1062. The providers must show at point of contract and thought its lifespan that they have the capacity to work with a diverse client group regardless of sexual identity, ethnicity and disability. The provider must show that all counsellors / therapists are able to work within a multi-cultural environment and that their professional practice demonstrates an understanding of cultural awareness within the therapeutic relationship. This has a positive impact in terms of equality. 9. Consultation 9.1 Legal Services and the Section 95 Officer have been consulted in relation to the content of this report. 10. Strategic Assessment 10.1 This report reflects the Council’s aspiration to reduce inequalities for the people of West Dunbartonshire. Laura Mason Chief Education Officer Person to Contact:Claire Cusick, Senior Education Officer Services for Children and Young People E-mail: claire.cusick@west-dunbarton.gov.uk Appendices: Appendix 1 - Equalities Impact Assessment Wards Affected: All Wards