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Schools Teams

Journalist briefing, April 2006

NSPCC Schools Teams provide children and young people with someone to turn to in schools, giving them the confidence to seek help and to protect themselves from abusers and bullies.

They also contribute to the education system by establishing peer support schemes and schools councils, advising staff, providing child protection training, working with parents and developing Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) lesson programmes. Schools Teams include social workers, counsellors/therapists, youth workers and education specialists

Why do children need Schools Teams?

  • From the ages of five to 16, school is where children spend most of their time - a total of more than 11,000 hours on average.
  • Yet few children and young people turn to teachers when they have problems. In one survey, teachers came top of a list of people children would be least likely to speak to if they were worried about something.1
  • 30 per cent of children do not tell anyone that they have been bullied at the time.2
  • Just over half (54 per cent) of primary and secondary school children think that bullying is 'a big problem' or 'quite a big problem' in their school.3
  • 52 per cent of newly qualified teachers are involved with at least one child protection case in their first eighteen months of teaching.4

What do NSPCC schools counsellors do?

Schools Counsellors work in teams in selected primary, secondary and special schools across the country to provide:

  • one-to-one counselling, drop-in sessions and group work
  • an independent alternative for those reluctant to confide in teaching staff yet need someone to turn to outside the family
  • access to NSPCC specialists and other services outside school hours
  • support for children in the child protection system.

What kinds of problems do schools counsellors deal with?

While family relations commonly cause problems, counsellors also deal with pupils experiencing bullying, sexual and physical abuse, sibling rivalry, bereavement, self-harm and eating disorders and other issues. Sometimes children refer themselves with one problem which turns out to be a symptom of a more serious underlying issue.

Counsellors use a range of methods to deal with these, including role play and art therapy. One counsellor tells the story of a young boy who didn't say a word in her counselling sessions for ten weeks, and simply concentrated on making things out of clay. Only when he felt ready did he finally open up about his abuse.

How do peer support schemes work?

62% of children and young people say they would be most likely to talk to a friend if they were worried about something5 . The NSPCC - particularly through its ChildLine service CHIPS (ChildLine in Partnership with Schools) - works in partnership with local education authorities to set up buddy schemes training pupil mentors. Peer support schemes can be especially effective in tackling bullying. They encourage children and young people to:

  • be more supportive and understanding of each other
  • work out their own solutions to difficulties both at home and at school
  • talk problems over with peers who may seem more approachable than adults.

What are schools councils?

  • The NSPCC is working with independent charity Schools Councils UK and local education authorities to support and advise schools in introducing schools councils. These are democratically elected groups of students who represent their peers and empower young people to:
  • address problems which affect them - such as bullying, drug and alcohol misuse, racism and discrimination
  • have a say in their own education and make a positive contribution to school life.

Should all children have access to Schools Team services?

The innovative services provided by NSPCC Schools Teams have set the standard for protecting children and young people in schools. However, on our own we are only able to fulfil demand in selected areas of the country. We are calling on the Government as a matter of urgency to provide independent counselling for children in all schools.

1 NSPCC research Someone to turn to, 2004. Children and young people were presented with a list containing family members, friends, teachers, professionals working with children and a helpline and asked who they would be least likely to talk to if they were worried about something. Teachers came out top with 59%.

2 Based on research involving 2,300 pupils aged 10-14. From 'What Good Schools Can Do About Bullying: Findings from a survey in English Schools after a decade of research and action', Smith and Shu, Childhood, 7:2, pp.193-212, p.204, 2000.

3 Tackling Bullying: Listening to the views of children and young people - Summary Report, Oliver and Kandappa, Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education, 2003.

4 'Newly Qualified Teachers and Child Protection: A Survey and Their Views, Training and Experiences', Baginsky, Child Abuse Review, 12:2, pp. 119-127, 2003.

5 NSPCC research Someone to turn to, 2004.