Parents, Post-Primary Counselling Service

The aim of the Post-Primary Counselling Service is to make counselling accessible to any young person in post primary education within the North Eastern Board area. Counselling will be offered to any pupil who contacts the Counselling Support Officer or who is referred by a parent/carer, a counselling support teacher or Secondary Officer of the North Eastern Board area.

 

North Eastern Board counsellors recognise that adolescents can encounter problem situations and experience thoughts, feelings and emotions with which they have difficulty coping. At such times counselling can help the young person to verbalise feelings, explore emotions and gain a better understanding of themselves. This can result in the young person being empowered to take responsibility for his/her actions and achieve a higher level of social, emotional and intellectual functioning. In the school context such support can have a positive impact on behaviour, which if unaddressed might lead to educational underachievement, suspension or expulsion. In the wider social context, such behaviour if unaddressed, can lead to situations and problems that impact negatively upon the pupil, his/her family and community.

 

 

 

The Post-Primary Pupil Counselling Service is under the strategic management of the Board’s Secondary Officer, Mr G. Kelly. The Counselling Support Officer, Mrs M Shaw has managerial and operational responsibility for the service.

 

The North Eastern board is an organisational member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, and counsellors adhere to its code of values and principals. Professional standards are maintained through the provision of a BACP accredited supervisor. Each counsellor receives clinical supervision in addition to line management supervision.

 

Further information about BACP values ethics and principals can be obtained from the website at:

Referrals to the Counselling Support Service can be made by telephone, 028 9448 2278, by email at pupilcounsellor@neelb.org.uk or by downloading the attached referral form and forwarding to Counselling Support Officer, Antrim Board Centre, 17 Lough Road, Antrim. Envelopes should be marked private and confidential. Referrals can also be made by contacting your schools counselling support teacher.

 

Counsellors adopt the person centred approach to develop a warm trusting relationship, the counsellor will encourage the young person to verbalise their concerns, consider possible responses to their problem and take responsibility for initiating a course of action designed to reduce stress and empower the young person to move on.

 

Counselling will normally take place in school in a private room which complies with child protection requirements. In certain circumstances it may take place in the home provided the parent/carer is present within the house. In exceptional circumstances, counselling may take place in a neutral venue.

 

The counsellor will not repeat anything discussed in the counselling sessions without first acquiring the young person’s permission to do so. Where serious concern is raised about the safety or protection of the young person or others, the counsellor will seek the young person’s permission to refer to the appropriate agency.