Call for Mental Health Counsellors in Schools in Scotland

A petition has been raised, calling for all pupils to have access to trained counsellors in their schools by 2022 has been submitted to the Scottish Parliament amid fears of a deepening mental health crisis, as reported in the TES on 12th August 2018 .

The petition shares information from people who have seen how powerful in-house counselling can be for some children and it criticizes the current system where only a few children have access to this type of support, yet teachers see many more children having mental health issues.

The article quotes: “Getting support at an early stage can help to avert children and young people reaching crisis points where costly and lengthy interventions might be needed. This service should be available in all schools and be provided for under national health policy, not something that schools have to provide through their hard-pressed education budgets.”

Jenny’s own Golden Model support children’s mental health and wellbeing. It has three listening systems at primary level – circle time, bubble time and think books. These systems give each child a voice, help others learn how to listen and take turns. Circle Times are pacy, vibrant to hold their attention and there are circle time rules to help keep the discussion and everyone safe. The Golden Model also has safe boundaries that run throughout classrooms, dining halls and playgrounds – called the Golden Rules or school values. The theory of the model, which is well grounded in philosophy, theory and many years of experience of working with managers, teachers, assistants and children in schools, is that listening to each other should start when children are very young, so that they grown in a school climate where social skills, listening and safe boundaries are the norm. Here is a link to the TES article.

In response to talking to many teachers and seeing children who are not ready for class circle times as they are struggling with behaviour or withdrawn or not able to take turns or contribute to a circle time, Jenny created Small Circles of Support. This is another part of the Golden Model and is a special, more facilitated and supported circle time which is designed to help children work on basic social skills and other related competencies to help to ‘bring them back into the fold’. “They’re Driving Me Mad” is Jenny’s book to help bring all her strategies for helping children who are troubled or troubling.

Website Manager’s Notes:

See all Jenny’s Golden Rules resources.
Jenny Mosley runs successful and transformative mental health and wellbeing, positive behaviour for learning, circle time and social skills, fun, and lunchtimes and playtimes training –Click here to see all forthcoming public conferencesthat anyone can attend.
For all training enquiries – wellbeing, better behaviour for learning, improved social and communication skills, circle times, working with parents as partners and more, phone 01225 767157 or email circletime@jennymosley.co.uk.
Resources to support all Jenny’s training are available on our website www.circle-time.co.uk/shop