Latest Expert Witness News

Evaluation of Welsh schools based counselling strategy

This report presents the findings from stage one of the evaluationand focuses on the findings from a desk-based analysis of client andoutcome data together with the results from surveys of schoolcounsellors, head/link teachers and local authority leads/servicemanagers.

The Welsh Government has copyright of these documents.The documents may not be quoted from or forwarded without fullacknowledgment to the Welsh Government. To download the reports pleaseclick on the images below.

Key findings:

• Large improvements were observed from the beginning of counselling to the end


• Attendance rates are high


• 86% of counsellors belong to a professional body, with over 70% being trained to at least post-graduate level


• Servicesare flexible, specifically with over 50% offering counselling bothwithin and outside of school premises, thus increasing accessibility forpupils


• School counselling services work closely with other services such as NHS CAMHS


• Schoolmanagement perceive the counselling service to have had an impact onattainment (65%), attendance (69% and behaviour (80%) of pupils who havereceived counselling.


• 91% of school management agreed the counselling service meets the needs of pupils


• Local authority leads, school management and school counsellors all had positive opinions towards school counselling services.


• Recommendationsfor improvements related to increased resources in terms of staffinglevels to enable more counselling sessions to be made available.

back