News coverage: "Private counsellors lend a sympathic ear to pupils"

16 February 2012

WHCM were today featured in the Essex Chronicle in honour of our work in Essex schools:

"Hundreds of Essex schoolchildren are seeing counsellors for emotional support each month.

After funding from Essex County Council dried up, 30 schools in Chelmsford, Braintree and Witham, are choosing to pay for counsellors out of their own budgets because they are seen as a lifeline for students.

Local pupils are referred to counsellors for issues including bullying, anxiety, low self-esteem, family breakdown, bereavement, self-harming, or because they are experiencing or witnessing domestic violence or abuse.

"When a child has difficulties and upsets it reflects in their schoolwork and impedes their progress," said Anne Morgan, the director of operations and counselling manager at West Ham Central Mission Sycamore.

"Schools have recognised that these problems get in the way of learning and employ us as professionals to help the student, and as a result free them up for doign better at school," she said.

"We may not be able to sort out what is going on, but can support the child in developing resilience to cope with what is thrown at them. The aim is to give them some focus and understanding about their lives."

Justine Colley, the charity's school liaison counsellor, said: "We have a close relationship with all our schools' pastoral managers, and they and other staff are very good at spotting the children who need counselling.

"It is not always the ones who are causing disruption or making outward signs of emotion.

"Sometimes is can eb the quiet child at the back whose problems may show because they are not working as well as they used to."

Head of Newlands Spring Primary School, Susannah Edom-Baker said she has seen children really benefit from the support of Sycamore Counselling, which has an office in Chelmsford.

She told the Chronicle: "When children are dealing with difficult emotional or behavioural problems the support of a skilled counsellor can be invaluable. We have seen children gain self-confidence and self-esteem which in turn improves their behaviour.

"Some children are helped to develop social skills which means they can make friends more easily and fit in with their peer group.

"All of these factors help to ensure that children can then fulfill their academic potential."

Sycamore's counsellors spend one or two days a week in a school and work on a one-to-one basis with a pupil for about a term, although this can vary.

Everything between a pupil and counsellor is confidential, unless there is a child protection issue when it may be referred to other agencies.

Where appropriate, meetings are held with parents at the start and end of the counselling sessions so they can be involved.

The charity takes no funding from the Government or local authority. An ECC grant to support five schools ends in March, but schools will self-fund until July.

Counsellors play an invaluable role in supporting school staff and offer guidance on handling children with emotional difficulties.

Regina Walsh, head of special needs education at Chelmer Valley High, said: "As a teacher I find their presence reassuring as they are experts in their field.

"I can ask if they think a student would benefit from counselling: why does this happen, or say this is how we are dealing with this, what do you think?"