Counselling
WMG’s counselling service is an academy-based service bringing counselling to young people in a place that is familiar, safe and secure. If young people are able to receive emotional support from a professional, they will have more opportunity to fulfil their potential.
Counselling is an opportunity to talk in confidence about things that are of concern with a counsellor. What is spoken about will depend on the individual, but common themes are stress, relationships, change, loss and distressing or traumatic events.
Counsellors are trained to listen without judging and to help young people sort out their thoughts and feelings about whatever is concerning them.
Referrals may be made through the academy pastoral system, via the appropriate Pastoral Lead, Senior Leadership and Designated Safeguarding Leads and the young person decides if they want to take up the offer of counselling. This decision is entirely theirs. It is voluntary for young people just as it would be for an adult.
Counselling may last for a few sessions or for a longer term. It is reviewed regularly by the counsellor and the young person. A small, private room is made available in the academy during the day. Sessions last up to fifty minutes (depending on the circumstances), and appointment times can be varied so that time is not always lost from the same subject.
Counselling sessions are treated confidentially. Counselling is a time when it is ok to talk about concerns without fear of them being discussed elsewhere. We encourage the student to discuss the counselling work with parents/carer, but they will not always want to. This can be hard for parents/carers to accept at times, but ensuring confidentiality is crucial for establishing trust so that young people feel confident to speak openly and freely about what is concerning them.
However, if a young person appears to be at risk of significant harm the Safeguard Team will be notified. The Counsellor would aim to discuss this firstly with the student concerned before speaking with the safeguarding team. The The safeguarding team will liaise with the parent/carers at these times
All counsellors receive supervision of their work with young people to ensure the quality standard of their practice.