Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 January 2021
542. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the steps she will take to support the mental health and well-being of students in examination years during the academic year 2020/2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1880/21]
View answerThe Minister is acutely aware of the challenges faced by examination year students and their families at this difficult time. All decisions taken in relation to schools are based on current public health advice. The welfare of students and that of their families is front and centre in all decision making.
The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) of my Department is leading on supporting the wellbeing of schools communities. The response to support the wellbeing of all within school communities requires a structured, psychosocial response which is compassionate and largely preventative and proactive. This requires a whole-school team approach to planning in order to ensure that staff, students and parents feel safe and secure. This response is aligned with the HSE guidance on such responses, and based on the five key principles of promoting a sense of safety, calm, connectedness, self- and community-efficacy and hope.
NEPS psychologists continue to provide a service to schools via remote access. All psychologists have been asked to continue to maintain contact with their assigned schools during this period of school closure. NEPS psychologists will continue with elements of case work deemed necessary which will be managed remotely to support the learning and wellbeing of children and young people. With the support of schools, this can include:
- Consultation with teachers and/or teachers and parents (by telephone/on secure on-line platform)
- Completion of various checklists and measures used to evaluate the needs of children and young people (by telephone/on secure on-line platform)
- Onward referral to other services
- Input into Student Support Plans/Reviews (by telephone/on secure on-line platform)
- Feedback to teachers and/or parents (by telephone/on secure on-line platform)
- Completion and issuing of written reports
NEPS will continue to signpost schools to resources and supports for wellbeing that have been made available by NEPS and the Department’s other support services. The resources to support students and parents will be re-circulated and promoted directly via social media over the coming period. NEPS will also continue to provide support to schools in the event of a critical incident.
Resources to support the wellbeing of school communities when schools are closed have been revised by NEPS, and include the following for exam students and teachers and parents/guardians supporting students:
Students
- Advice for young people while schools are closed
- A Plan for the Day – A template to support daily routines
- Managing Stress and Anxiety – a guide for students
- Panic attacks – a guide for students
Teachers
- The response to stress information for school staff
- Normalising thoughts feelings and behaviour – a guide for school staff
- Guidelines for Teachers - Listen, Connect, Model & Teach (This guide has been developed to enable teachers to talk in a comforting and supportive way with students who may need the support of the Student Support Team at this time
- Managing Stress and Anxiety in students – A Guide for School Staff
Parents
- A Guide for Parents on supporting children and young people with daily routines while schools are closed
- How to Calm and Support your Child – A Guide for Parents and Guardians
- Managing Stress and Anxiety - A Guide for Parents and Guardians
My Department will continue to signpost schools and students to the HSE/HSE-funded e-mental health services. The Department of Health and HSE have ensured the most appropriate services and resources are clearly signposted for young people. The stepped care approach recognises that at present, there already exists services that offer online text and telephone supports to people seeking mental health information and advice.
These include the Samaritans; Pieta House; MyMind; Turn2Me; Aware; Crisis Text Ireland; Shine; BeLongTo; LGBT Ireland; Jigsaw; Bodywhys and Childline. The YourMentalHealth.ie website provides a ‘one-stop-shop’ portal for people seeking information, supports and services, including information on accessing urgent help and a mental health text messaging support service which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days each week to connect people with trained volunteers.
Each post primary school currently receives an allocation in respect of guidance provision, which is calculated by reference to the approved enrolment. Counselling is a key part of the role of the Guidance Counsellor, offered on an individual or group basis as part of a developmental learning process, at moments of personal crisis but also at key transition points. The Guidance Counsellor also identifies and supports the referral of students to external counselling agencies and professionals, as required. The Guidance Counsellor is key in developing and implementing innovative approaches to wellbeing promotion on a whole schools basis though the school’s Guidance Plan.
