Evidencing impact

The difference school counselling / therapy makes

Our extensive experience has shown that school-based counselling and therapy services can make a significant difference to the lives of vulnerable children and young people.  This model works because the service is:

  • Accessible
  • Delivered in a safe and familiar environment
  • Holistic, working in partnership with other key adults in the child’s life
  • Specialist (all our staff are qualified and experienced mental health professionals)


“I used to feel so frightened.  Now I feel much happier and I’m not scared anymore”

Girl, aged six

 

How we measure outcomes and evidence impact

Ofsted’s Education Inspection Framework requires schools to demonstrate how they support pupils’ personal development, including their resilience and ability to keep mentally healthy.  We provide detailed reports to schools outlining what our counselling service has achieved and the impact of this work.  A range of clinical outcome measures are used (both pre and post intervention) including:

  • The Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents (HoNOSCA)
  • Young Person’s Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (YP-CORE)
  • Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQs)
  • Bespoke feedback forms

Thanks to these measures we know that over 90% of the children and young people who access our services show a marked improvement in their emotional wellbeing and related symptoms.


“We have been very pleased with the quality of this service.  It has proved an important way of ensuring our students can deal with problems and move forward, putting them in a much stronger position to achieve academically”

Susan Hammond, Headteacher, Whitmore High School, Harrow

 

Examples of outcomes

Outcomes achieved for children accessing our service include:

  • Enhanced emotional wellbeing
  • Greater resilience for dealing with challenging life events
  • Less disruptive, anti-social or aggressive behaviour
  • Reduction in depression, anxiety and related emotional symptoms
  • Improved social skills and peer relationships
  • Improved confidence and self-esteem
  • Stronger family relationships
  • Enhanced ability to attain and achieve at school


Research supporting the efficacy of school counselling

The positive impact school counselling/therapy can have has been supported by extensive research.

One study published in January 2021 found that child led counselling in schools led to significant reductions in pupils’ psychological distress over the long-term. The study also found pupils who were offered counselling experienced significantly improved self-esteem, as well as large increases in their achievement of personal goals (see: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(20)30363-1/fulltext)

“All children should be able to access professional, qualified counselling and therapy services in their school or college in an age-appropriate form”

Taskforce on Mental Health in Society (2015)