School Counsellors in England, Tackling a Children's Mental Health Crisis

This paper explores the current provisiom and roles of school counsellors in England's schools. Government interventions are discussed and the ongoing problems with the deteriorating mental health of children and adolescents, caused by social pressures, and then the Covid 19 pandemic, addressed. The numbers of counsellors available has risen, but is in no way equal to the provision in other countries and the response of the National Health Service (NHS) is also under severe pressure. Attitudes of parents, teachers and young people to counselling are explored, together with the wide-ranging qualifications and duties required of counsellors in England's schools. The conclusion is that the change of attitude by government towards counselling in schools, is still too little and too late. as many children have no access to in-school help with mental issues, or teachers the support they need to understand the mental health problems affecting children in their classes. [For the complete Volume 22 proceedings, see ED656158.]