FOI Requst - Mental Health Services in Schools

Request 101002820268

Question 1) How much funding did you your local authority receive from the Scottish Government for the access to counsellors in secondary schools programme in a)2019/20, b) 2020/21 and c) the current year
Question 2) Please list every secondary school that you have in your local authority and how many hours of access to a school counsellor is provided to pupils in a)2019/20, b) 2020/21 and c) the current year
Question 3) How many school counsellors were employed in your local authority area in a)2019/20, b) 2020/21 and c) the current year
Question 4) How many teachers does your local authority employ and how many have undergone mental health training

Response 05-07-21

Question 1) How much funding did you your local authority receive from the Scottish Government for the access to counsellors in secondary schools programme in a)2019/20, b) 2020/21 and c) the current year

2019/20                £208,000
2020/21                £270,000
2021/22                £270,000

Question 2) Please list every secondary school that you have in your local authority and how many hours of access to a school counsellor is provided to pupils in a)2019/20, b) 2020/21 and c) the current year

We do not hold information for 2019/20 & 2020/21 - this information is therefore exempt under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information Not Held. 

From 01 April 2021:

Secondary School counsellors who are based in schools on fixed days each week (2.7 FTE staff) Secondary schools – 60 sessions per week

Secondary Schools
Each full time Counsellor – 5 pre-arranged appointments & free drop in sessions.

Buckie High School          2 days per week
Elgin Academy                   3 days per week
Elgin High School              2 days per week
Forres Academy                2 days per week
Keith Grammar School   1 day per week
Lossiemouth High School 1 day per week
Milne’s High School         1 day per week
Speyside High School      1 day per week

Question 3) How many school counsellors were employed in your local authority area in a)2019/20, b) 2020/21 and c) the current year

From 01 April 2021 (for those aged 10 years and over)

a) Secondary School 2.7 FTE staff
b) Primary School 2.5 FTE staff

How many hours of counselling did we receive through The Exchange last term?
60 sessions x 5.2 FTE = 312 hours per week  (10 years and over)

Question 4) How many teachers does your local authority employ and how many have undergone mental health training

As per the September 2020 census, the local authority employ 1047 teachers. 

There is no central record of how many have undergone mental health training - this information would be held in individual staff files. We would need to check each file manually for this information which would cost over £600. This information is therefore exempt under Section 12 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - excessive cost.