We’ve launched a UK-wide survey of school counsellors to find out how your work has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic and school closures.
We believe the results of the survey will help strengthen our position when we’re influencing policy-makers, commissioners and funders about why school and college counselling is critical to young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
The survey is open to anyone who works as a counsellor or psychotherapist in a school or college and is a member of a professional body; not just BACP members.
You can take part if you’re a student in training, employed by a school directly, or working for an agency or service.
We’re working with Professor Mick Cooper and Dr Jess Bryant from the University of Roehampton on the survey and hope to seek external funding to carry out further research over the next 18 months.
Our Children Young People and Families Lead Jo Holmes said: “We hope this survey will collate valuable information that will strengthen our calls for a paid counsellor in every school.
“We know school counselling is crucial in supporting young people’s mental health and wellbeing now and in the future as the country’s children and young people face the long-term consequences of the pandemic.
“We’re hoping to carry out follow up surveys over the next 18 months, and we believe the baseline data collected at this stage will be invaluable for the profession.
“Together we can help influence positive change in how school and college counselling are viewed and funded in the UK – and make a difference to young people’s lives.”
The survey focuses on how the profession has adapted during the covid-19 pandemic, including the amount and range of counselling that has, or has not, been delivered as well.
It also looks at ways in which counselling provision might be optimised in the future.
The survey also asks counsellors if they are paid for their work, or it is part of a placement, or voluntary.
The survey will take about 20 minutes to complete and will be open until 20th July.
Watch Jo Holmes and Professor Mike Cooper talk about the importance of researching and promoting school counselling.
Children, young people and families
Promoting the importance of early intervention and access to timely psychological therapies for children, young people and families is a priority for BACP.
Critical time to respond to rising mental health needs of children and young people
Read our letter to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson
Tackling the mental health consequences of coronavirus
Back our COVID-19 campaign to reaffirm the critical role that counselling and psychotherapy needs to play in supporting the nation through the coronavirus crisis and in helping to repair it afterwards.