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<p>The department recognises that counselling can play a particularly effective role
as part of a whole-school or college approach, and that many schools already provide
their pupils access to counselling support.</p><p>To support the provision of counselling
support in schools, the department published a blueprint for school counselling services. This
provides schools with practical, evidence-based advice, informed by schools and counselling
experts, on how to deliver high quality school-based counselling. It also offers information
on how to ensure that vulnerable children, including children with special educational
needs and disabilities, looked after children and those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual
or transgender, who have a higher prevalence to mental illness, can access counselling
provision. Further guidance on counselling in schools can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/counselling-in-schools"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/counselling-in-schools</a>.</p><p>However,
the department has not made the provision of access to counselling in schools and
colleges mandatory, as it is important for schools to have the freedom to decide what
support to offer their pupils, based on their particular needs, and drawing on an
evidence base of effective practice. This support can come from a number of sources,
including counselling.</p><p>The government has invested £8 million in the new Wellbeing
for Education Return programme which funded expert advisers who offered training and
support to schools and colleges and made links to local support available, including,
potentially, counselling. Alongside this, the department launched a £95,000 pilot
led by the Education Support charity to provide online peer-support and telephone
counselling from experts to around 250 school leaders. The pilot ended in March 2021.
The outcome of the pilot will inform any future wellbeing and mental health interventions
for staff.</p><p>To increase support further in the long term, we remain committed
to our joint green paper delivery programme with the Department of Health and Social
care and NHS England, including introducing new mental health support teams linked
to schools and colleges, providing training for senior mental health leads in schools
and colleges, and testing approaches to faster access to NHS specialist support.</p><p>We
have recently announced a £79 million boost to children and young people’s mental
health support, accelerating introduction of Mental Health Support Teams. The support
teams, which provide early intervention on mental health and emotional wellbeing issues
in schools and colleges, will grow from the 59 set up by last March to around 400
by April 2023, supporting nearly 3 million children. This increase means that millions
of children and young people will have access to significantly expanded mental health
services.</p>
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