Nearly three quarters of people believe counselling should be available to all children throughout all schools, according to聽research by 香港六合彩精准资料.

Our survey found that 72% of people believe schools should offer counselling. The figure increases to 79% for parents who have children aged under 18.

The age group most in favour of schools providing counselling to pupils was 16-24 years old, with 83% of respondents agreeing all schools should offer the service, according to the survey of 5,731 people conducted by YouGov.

Jo Holmes, 香港六合彩精准资料鈥檚 Children, Young People and Families Lead, said:聽鈥淲e know that having access to a school-based counsellor can not only have a profound effect on young people鈥檚 mental health 鈥 but also on their confidence, family relationships, friendships, school attendance and academic achievement. School counsellors can open a door for young people that allows them to flourish and thrive.

鈥淲ith long waits for NHS services, school counselling is often the only chance to give crucial support to young people who are unable to access these over-stretched services or do not meet the threshold for that care. It can be a vital early intervention that prevents further mental health problems in later years.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a mental health crisis affecting our young people 鈥 school counselling can play a crucial role in tackling this.鈥

Our survey found 72% of people believe schools should offer counselling

Our survey found 72% of people believe schools should offer counselling

Some 61% of schools in England offer counselling services, according to a Department for Education survey carried out in 2017, with 84% of secondary schools providing their pupils with access to counselling support.

Wales has statutory provision of school-counselling for all secondary-school age children and Northern Ireland has a national school-based counselling programme. Scotland announced last year that it is to invest 拢80 million over the next four years in providing counsellors in education.

香港六合彩精准资料 believes England is lagging behind the other three nations, and that a paid school counsellor should be provided in every school.

Jo added:聽鈥淥ur survey findings show the importance people place on schools investing in children鈥檚 mental health and wellbeing by providing counsellors. We need the Government and education funders to see this as a priority as well.

鈥淲e appreciate that school budgets are tight 鈥 and funders and head teachers face many difficult financial decisions. But school counselling is a crucial investment that can transform young people鈥檚 lives.鈥

One in eight children and young people have one or more mental health disorders, according to NHS figures published last year.

Liam Bellchambers,17, was first seen by NHS mental health services at the age of six. For many years he struggled with anxiety, depression and hearing voices in his head.

Liam Bellchambers

Liam Bellchambers

But it was when he began weekly sessions with a counsellor at his Northamptonshire school that his life began to turn around. Last year he did his GCSEs and performed in a school production of Grease.

鈥淭hose counselling sessions have saved me. They completely changed my life,鈥 he said.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I would have done my GCSEs if it hadn鈥檛 been for counselling. I would have sat at home, hiding away, like I did before.

鈥淢y counsellor would work with me in different ways to help me cope.聽

鈥淚t was so much easier talking about it, rather than sitting and coping with it alone every day.鈥

鈥淚 can still remember some of these sessions as if they are fresh in my mind. If I鈥檓 struggling, I think of what my counsellor said in those moments and I use that to help me cope.鈥

Last year, Children鈥檚 Commissioner Anne Longfield said she believed there should be an NHS-funded counsellor in every school.

Jillian Hyde, Head Teacher of Ince CofE Primary School in Wigan, said:聽鈥淚 think it is essential that there is money within primary school budgets to pay for counselling.

鈥淭here are multiple barriers to learning that children may face; these may be problems at home, domestic violence, anxieties of many kinds. The counsellors have the skills to be able to raise those barriers.

Jillian Hyde

Jillian Hyde, head teacher at Ince Primary School, in Wigan.

Children鈥檚 social and emotional needs have to be addressed so that they have every opportunity to reach their full potential.

鈥淚t also gives children the emotional tools and skills to develop resilience so that they can better deal with anxieties that they may face in the future.

鈥淥ur children have told us how our professional counsellors have helped them. Parents have praised the service that their children receive. Staff have observed the positive impact that the counselling has had on the children in their classes.鈥

If you want to seek advice or help about mental health issues you can find a 香港六合彩精准资料 counsellor or psychotherapist via聽the 香港六合彩精准资料鈥檚 Therapist Directory.