Mental Health Services in Schools

15331

14/06/2021

FOI

Question 1) How much funding did you your local authority receive from the Scottish Government for the access to counsellors in secondary schools programme in a)2019/20, b) 2020/21 and c) the current year

Question 2) Please list every secondary school that you have in your local authority and how many hours of access to a school counsellor is provided to pupils in
a)2019/20,
b) 2020/21 and
c) the current year

Question 3) How many school counsellors were employed in your local authority area in a)2019/20,
b) 2020/21 and
c) the current year

Question 4) How many teachers does your local authority employ and how many have undergone mental health training

1.
2019/20 £263,000 ;
2020/21 £345,000;
current year £345,000

2. Scottish Borders provide resilience practitioners in all our secondary schools who have a counselling skills qualification which they apply in the work with young people.
The following are the average hours in each of the secondary schools however on occasions, when there is a particular need in a particular school, this can increase by using some community hours the service has.

Berwickshire High School 35 hours
Earlston High School 35 hours
Eyemouth High School 25 hours
Galashiels Academy 35 hours
Hawick High School 35 hours
Jedburgh Grammar School 25 hours
Kelso High School 35 hours
Peebles High School 35 hours
Selkirk High School 30 hours
This service has been operational since August 2018, COSCA counselling skills training took place in 2020 and continues to operate with Scottish Borders.

3. Some of the information you have requested cannot be provided because Scottish Borders Council does not hold it and therefore we give notice under s17 of FOI(S)A 2002 and declare that the information is not held as Scottish Borders Council have no posts specifically called 'School Counsellor'/'Counsellor'.

4. Total headcount of teachers as at 16/06/2021 = 774. This figure is based on the employee's main postholding and excludes casual staff and head/depute head teachers. Principal teachers are included in the figure. Almost all teaching and non-teaching staff in schools have undertaken Growing Confidence training which has elements of mental health within the course.
Almost all Pastoral staff have undertaken See Me Mental Health Awareness training.
Pastoral staff have also undertaken 'What's the harm?' training which also has elements of mental health within it.
In May an additional 9 primary members of staff and 9 members of secondary staff were trained in Seasons for Growth.

Mental Health Services in Schools - Freedom of information requests