Press Release: 5 April 2004

Children's minister endorses school counselling services

Margaret Hodge, Secretary of State for Education and Skills, today calls for a serious commitment to the creation and extension of counselling services in schools.

Writing in this month's journal of the Counselling in Education (CIE) division of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), Mrs Hodge says:

"Counselling for pupils and students who are having emotional difficulties both inside and outside school can be a lifeline, a turning point in their lives".

She adds: "We hope that the targeted services - like counselling - will be delivered in mainstream settings, like schools".

Mrs Hodge, a mother of four, adds: "Strong emotional health is vital to every individual, child and adult alike. But such is the stigma attached to mental illness that many people are scared to ask for help. How much more difficult then for a child or young person who is suffering from emotional problems? Young people, particularly in adolescence, can feel as though they are living through a nightmare - their bodies are changing, they may have feelings which they don't really understand. All too often it seems that there is no-one to talk to, that there is no-one who will understand what they are going through".

The minister concludes: "The emotional intelligence (of children) is important if they are to develop their intellectual potential... Achieving one's best in school can support good mental health in individuals. Aiming high does not have to lead to more depression - indeed it could have the opposite effect" (full text below).

Deputy Chief Executive of the British Association for Counselling Alan Jamieson and Psychotherapy says: "We are delighted the Minister has recognised the need for professional school counselling services. Young people face additional emotional difficulties where families are struggling. They need help but it is especially important that teachers are not expected to become counsellors on top of all their other jobs".

Ms Susan McGinnis Journal Editor of CIE added: "Counselling accreditation takes between three and five years and requires 950 hours of training and practice. Children need to be able to access support from professionals who know their business and are fully supported by a regulatory body such as BACP".

For further information, please contact Phillip Hodson 020 7794 2838 or email phillip@philliphodson.co.uk, or Lewis Edwards on 0870 443 5252, email lewis.edwards@bacp.co.uk

Full text of Minister's article from Counselling in Education Journal, April 2004 follows:

Q. Did you become a politician by accident or design?

A. By accident - I have always been interested in politics and went on my first Aldermaston march for CND when I was 16. I had to give up my full-time job when I started having children as my work involved extensive travel. Somebody suggested that I should get involved in local politics whilst the children were little so that I could keep my brain ticking over and I have never looked back.

Q. Can you tell us about someone in your life when you were a child or adolescent who had a big influence on you and the person you have become?

A. My English teacher at school was one of the people who nurtured my enthusiasm for ideas and innovation. A friend of mine from the London School of Economics who was a mature student kept me on the straight and narrow. Simone de Beauvoir and Doris Lessing were powerful influences on my thinking. Nelson Mandela remains the greatest hero for me with his inner strength, integrity and idealism.

Q. Why do you feel you are especially suited to your post as Minister for Children, Young People and Families?

A. I have spent the last 30 years campaigning and working on issues which affect children, young people and their families. I have had four children of my own and I am immensely proud of all of them. As a junior Minister I was responsible for developing our National Childcare Strategy and our universal free nursery education offer for all three and four year olds. I was one of the four key Ministers engaged in creating our Sure Start Programme and, as Minister for Disabled People, I developed the early identification and intervention policies. In local government I pioneered integrated services for children in their early years and developed services for families, which were developed and focused around their needs rather than those of the traditional professional organisational silos.

Q. The government clearly understands and wishes to promote the enormous benefits to society of strong emotional health as demonstrated by initiatives such as Sure Start, the DfES document ‘Promoting Mental Health in Early Years and School Settings' and the recent Green Paper ‘Every Child Matters'. Do you feel that counselling is one of the services alluded to in the Green Paper where it says "other support services should be available to children and young people on school site" and, given the government's recognition of the importance of mental health alongside the raising achievement agenda that is the more immediate core business of schools, when do you think the government will take the lead and provide schools with ring-fenced financial resources to support the mental health needs of students in schools?

A. Strong emotional health is vital to every individual, child and adult alike. But such is the stigma attached to mental illness that many people are scared to ask for help. How much more difficult then for a child or young person who is suffering from emotional problems? Young people, particularly in adolescence, can feel as though they are living through a nightmare - their bodies are changing, they may have feelings which they don't really understand. All too often it seems that there is no one to talk to, that there is no one who will understand what they are going through.

Counselling for pupils and students who are having emotional difficulties both inside and outside school can be a lifeline, a turning point in their lives. The proposals in the Green Paper bring together education, social services and some children's health services within Children's Trusts. We hope that the targeted services - like counselling - will be delivered in mainstream settings, like schools. That is why we are encouraging the development of extended schools and that is why we have said we want Children's Trusts to commission multi-disciplinary teams of workers in schools. Counsellors could well form part of that team. Whether the funding comes from the school or from the Children's Trust is an issue for discussion. I'm interested in people's views.

We are also working closely with the Department of Health to encourage closer co-operation between the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and schools. Significant additional resources are now in place and we are committed to an annual increase of 10% in the budget for CAMHS each year through to 2006.

Q. Some schools are experimenting with a ‘whole school' approach involving ‘emotional intelligence', where both staff and pupils are encouraged to treat each other with respect and the aim is to create a positive learning environment rather than a punitive one. Early evidence shows that this results in lower levels of truanting, bullying and bad behaviour as well as better academic performance, all of which the government is seeking to achieve. Could this be the way forward or would it be too difficult to implement?

A. The ethos of a school is the key, not only to the academic achievements of its young people but also to the wellbeing of both staff and students. It seems to me that a "whole school" approach based on mutual respect must represent the way forward. The whole thrust of our Green Paper proposals is that we should develop services for children around their needs to ensure they fulfil their potential. That involves making sure that every child or young person feels healthy, safe and enjoys their learning. Their emotional intelligence is important if they are to develop their intellectual potential. At the same time all children need boundaries. We all have responsibilities as well as rights. We have collective as well as individual rights and these have to be protected and promoted in the school environment.

We are providing support for schools which have challenges in this area. Behaviour and Education Support Teams known as BESTS are an important innovation to support schools in dealing with truancy, bullying and bad behaviour. BESTS are multi-agency teams that work with children aged 5-18 and their families and schools to promote emotional wellbeing, positive behaviour and school attendance. They also help to identify and support children with emotional and behavioural problems. The Extended Schools initiative will also help those children most in need by providing breakfast clubs, after-school clubs and health and social care support on site.

Q. There is evidence of stress escalating in young people, along with growing rates of suicide and depression, some of which can be linked to pressure to achieve at school. Do you see a way to balance the government's agenda of high achievement with the increasingly precarious state of young people's mental health?

A. Children will not perform at their best if they are not feeling healthy and happy. High achievement depends on how well they are coping with their everyday lives, both inside and outside of school. And then it can be its own reward. There can be many reasons why children and young people may be susceptible to mental health difficulties and emotional problems. I believe that schools are in the best position to give children and young people the skills they need to meet the challenges we all have to face in life, and that includes their emotional wellbeing. If they need it, young people can get a lot of help and support from learning mentors and Connexions personal advisers who can help with anxiety, depression, eating problems and many other issues. Schools with both strong academic and non-academic opportunities can actually help to foster resilience. Achieving one's best in school can support good mental health in individuals. Aiming high does not have to lead to more depression - indeed it could have the opposite effect. It all depends on how encouraging each individual child to realise their potential is achieved in the school.

Q. Almost daily in the news are stories which demonise young people as violent, disruptive thugs who fail at school and indulge in underage sex. Young people are now beginning to speak out about how they feel they are being treated like a despised minority, tarred with the brush of the bad behaviour of the few. Is there anything the government can, or should, do to help promote a more positive view of young people?

A. I hope that my new job as Minister for Children, Young People and Families signals how important the Government believes that children and young people are to our society. After all, today's children are tomorrow's future. We have made a lot of progress. The drive on child poverty has lifted half a million families out of low incomes. Last year saw the best ever education results in all stages. But there is more to be done. The Green Paper "Every Child Matters" shows our determination to build on existing achievements. We are working across many fronts - our aim is to ensure that every child can maximise their opportunities and that we minimise risk to every child. We hope that the Children's Commissioner whom we wish to appoint can help us to promote a positive view of young people by ensuring that their voice is heard.

Q. Is there anything you would like to say to counsellors working with young people?

A. I know that your role is vital. I hope you share my enthusiasm for creating a step change in the life chances for every child. I know many of you feel over-worked and undervalued. One of my jobs is to raise the esteem and value of all of those who work with children and young people. By investing in the children's workforce we shall be able to take advantage of the opportunities the reform agenda presents. And the care and support that you give individuals is an important part of that agenda.

[ENDS]