Counselling Services in Educational Settings - Freedom of information requests
Title or Description
Counselling Services in Educational Settings
FOI Number
202486
Date Received
17/01/2024
Type of Request
FOI
Request or Question
a. How many counsellors are employed or commissioned (FTE) by the local authority to support young people in the authority’s educational establishments in 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24? b. What is the ratio of counsellors to young people in the authority’s secondary, special and primary educational establishments in 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24?
c. What is the council expenditure on providing counselling services in 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24?
d. What are the current waiting times for pupils to access a counsellor in secondary, special and primary sectors?
e. Does the Local Authority have plans to reduce or increase counselling provision in the future?
Response
How many counsellors are employed or commissioned (FTE) by the local authority to support young people in the authority’s educational establishments in 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24?
Scottish Borders commission Quarriers, who provide a Resilience Practitioner into each secondary school, and a primary service across the local authority.
In October 2023, Mypas have been commissioned to provide one School counsellor into the Galashiels cluster area as a pathfinder project. This project will run for 1 year.
b. What is the ratio of counsellors to young people in the authority’s secondary, special and primary educational establishments in 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24?
As outlined above Scottish Borders have Resilience Practitioners working within schools, who have a counselling skills qualification but are not school counsellors.
c. What is the council expenditure on providing counselling services in 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24?
d. What are the current waiting times for pupils to access a counsellor in secondary, special and primary sectors?
Within Quarriers and Mypas they do not hold a waiting list. When there is a place available within the service, discussions will take place with the school to identify who should be allocated the place.
e. Does the Local Authority have plans to reduce or increase counselling provision in the future?
Scottish Borders do not have any plans as yet as to whether there will be any increase or decrease of counselling provision in the future.
