We’ve signed a joint letter calling on the new Secretary of State for Education, The Rt Hon. Bridget Phillipson MP, to take urgent steps to reduce the rising number of children who are persistently absent from school.

The letter, led by Place2Be and co-signed by educational and mental health organisations, urges the Government to consider the recommendations in its new report: ‘School for All: Solutions for school attendance’.

Counselling reduces school absences

The report says that one in five children (1.6 million) persistently miss school and this means they’re more likely to experience mental health difficulties, more likely to have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and are at higher risk of exploitation. It says that access to mental health counselling with a qualified child counsellor or therapist on-site would be one way to help reduce school absences.

It cites evidence similar to our recent report, with Citizens UK, showing the long-term benefit to taxpayers of access to counselling in UK schools (eight times the cost of the investment) and the benefits of being able to identify children who need mental health support at an earlier stage.

No government funding in England

In the UK, England is the only country where school counselling is not government funded. Here, schools and colleges struggle to pay for in-house, sessional or commissioned service provision from their overstretched budgets or grants from local charities. 

Jo Holmes, our Children, Young People and Families Policy Lead, said: “School counselling is an easily accessible, non-stigmatising and effective form of early intervention for reducing psychological distress in children and young people.

“It reduces mental health issues in adulthood, leads to better educational outcomes and reduces school absences.

“That’s why we, along with other charities and campaign groups we work with, will keep pushing the Government to fund access for all children and young people to a qualified counsellor in every UK school.”