We’re urging the government to set up an emergency resilience fund for schools and colleges to pay for vital counselling support.
The call is the next stage of our school counselling campaign for a paid counsellor to be available in every secondary school, academy and further education college in England.
Our children and young people need access to counselling now as they face increased change and uncertainty in their lives because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emergency resilience fund
Government plans to support children and young people’s mental health are inadequate and will not reach them in time to respond to their current needs.
This is why we’re calling for an emergency resilience fund to help head teachers and college principals access additional funding to pay for vital counselling provision now.
We’re asking our members, organisations and the public to support our campaign by signing our petition.
We’ll share our support for this petition with the newly-appointed Children’s Commissioner for England, Rachel De Souza, who supports the call for a counsellor in every school, and with Dr Alex George, the new Youth Mental Health Ambassador.
Important campaign
We need your help to get them on board with this important campaign work.
Jo Holmes, our Children, Young People and Families Lead, said: “Children and young people are facing the mental health consequences of the pandemic, and the uncertainty and upheaval it has brought to their lives. They need critical support now.
“This ring-fenced mental health fund will help schools and colleges buy in the support they so badly need.
“Please support our campaign and sign our petition. Children and young people need your help now.”
Support our school counselling campaign.
School counselling in England campaign
We believe that a paid counsellor should be available in every primary, secondary school, academy and FE college in England.
Why we need all secondary schools and colleges to employ a counsellor
Ann Holden writes that "school counsellors add significant representation in an educational setting"
"The need and demand for intervention is high"
Our member Rachael Nevin-Lewis shares her experience of being a school counsellor as the classrooms fill up again