Guidance and Counselling at CBS Westland Row

Mission statement

The mission statement of CBS Westland Row states that the school strives to create opportunities for each individual in the school community to realise their full potential. The guidance service of the school reflects this support for the student with a student centred approach. The goal is the development of student potential – academic, personal and emotional – leading to greater awareness of themselves and their opportunities in life.

What is guidance in schools?

Guidance counselling refers to the range of learning experiences provided in a developmental sequence, designed to assist students to make choices about their lives. These choices may be categorised into three distinct but interlinked areas:

Personal and social
Educational
Career

Guidance activities that assist students to make informed choices include:

Personal counselling
Assessment using psychometric instruments and inventories
Career information (classroom, personal vocational guidance interviews, attendance at career events)
Use of information technology
Personal and Social development programmes.

Aims of the Guidance at Westland Row:

Ensure a student centered response to an individual students personal, social, educational and career guidance needs.
To be inclusive providing for the junior, senior, further education, minority, special educational needs of all students.

Objectives:

Students to develop awareness of their talents, interests and abilities.
Encourage students to identify and explore a variety opportunities.
To aid and encourage ambition, independence and responsibility
Make informed choice about their lives and support them to follow through on their choices.
To encourage and support students to be critical thinkers, to embrace personal and academic development.
To encourage students to be involved in activities outside of the school

The key role of the Guidance Counsellor has two distinct but complementary elements:

To meet students’ needs as they appear during the students’ time in school
To develop a curricular programme which is developmental, preventative, appropriate to the needs of the students and delivered in an integrated and proactive manner in a whole school context.

A Whole-school Activity

It is established policy that guidance is a whole school activity supporting the needs of its students. All members of school staff and management also have key or supporting roles to play. A team approach in identifying student needs and developing agreed strategies to deal with students is considered to be essential good practice. At CBS this team may comprise some or a combination of the following:

The Pastoral Care Team (Identified in the school journal): Guidance Counsellor; SPHE/TY Development teacher; Senior Religion Teachers; HSCL; Learning Support/SEN; Class Tutors.

Guidance Activities that Assist Students to make Informed Choices:

Counselling
Assessment

Career Information (classroom, personal vocational guidance interviews, attendance at career events, outside speakers, students)

Skills Based Learning in use of information technology

Personal and Social developmental programmes.

Study Skills /Exam Techniques

Motivation

Subject Choice

Stress Management

Support /Procedures on subject change

Support/Procedures on subject level change

Future Options choice

Liaising (formal/informal) with students/parents/staff/management/ outside agencies.

Referral of an individual student to the Guidance Counsellor by Principal, Deputy Principal, Year Heads, Form Tutors, subject teachers, parents, Board of Management

Referral by the Guidance Counsellor to other professionals outside of the school e.g. The National Psychological Service (NEPS), Health Board Professionals, Jigsaw or other appropriate agencies.

Sample of activities in the Guidance Programme:

Year/Group	Sample: Actions/Supports
1st	Individual interviews/class testing/contacts through the year/RESPECT Programme/RSE and Drugs Ed Programme, SPHE/College Awareness Week/KPMG Paired Reading/DIT College Tasters/Assessment
2nd	Individual interviews/class/testing/ contacts through the year/RSE and Drugs Ed Programme/College Awareness Week/KPMG Paired Reading/Assessment
3rd	Year Group intervention at least two times a year*/ Study skills and TY information classes/College Awareness Week/Assessment
L.C.A. 1	Vocational Prep & Guidance 1 class per week/Individual interviews//RSE and Drugs Ed Programme/College Awareness Week/Assessment
L.C.A. 2	Vocational Prep & Guidance 1 class per week/Individual interviews//RSE and Drugs Ed Programme/College Awareness Week/CFES; Open Days/Assessment
TY	Currently two weekly classes/RSE and Drugs Ed Programme/College Awareness Week/Assessment/Mind Out/Accenture Skills to Succeed programme; DATs; Work experience; email contact with all students for information and follow ups; Google Classroom; Intake and exit interviews with each student. GAISCE; the entire programme is developed with personal development and information in mind.
5th Year	Currently two weekly classes*/Individual interviews/RSE and Drugs Ed Programme/College Awareness Week/Assessments/KPMG Mentoring/Mind Out programme/Accenture Skills to Succeed programme; email contact with all students for information and follow ups; Google Classroom; Meetings with each student at least once a school year.
6th Year	Two weekly classes. Individual interviews//RSE and Drugs Ed Programme/College Awareness Week/KPMG Mentoring; Open Days; Higher Options; Meetings with each student at least twice a school year.

The programme will be regularly evaluated and is always being adapted.

Links with Outside Agencies (sample list):

NEPS
Social Workers
GPs
Employers/Accenture/Work Experience placements: List in contacts
Colleges/Admission Officers and Access Officers (DIT/RCSI/TAP etc)
Solas
Department of Education and Science
Business and School Partnership: Business in the Community
C.A.O. and U.C.A.S.
Corporate Responsibility/Human Resources Managers (KPMG)
Mentoring Programme/Paired Reading with KPMG
The Bridge 21 Programme: Information Technology and Teamwork Development in conjunction with Trinity College and Google
The Trinity College Voluntary Tuition Programme
The Trinity Access Programme (TAP) and TAP Achievement Awards
Shadowing Day with TCD and DIT
Higher Level Maths Programme
The Summer Schools Programme
Access Programmes:

Foundation Course for Young Adults
HEAR and DARE

Free after-school supervised study
DIT Access Foundation Programme
DIT Access to College Programme College of Science and Health Taster Days
REACH RCSI Grinds Club for Junior Certificate and Leaving certificate
RCSI Debating Science Issues
RCSI Leaving Certificate Biology Practical Series
RCSI Chemistry Grinds
NCI Discover University and Stretch to Learn Programme
RSE/Respect Programme with St. Andrew’s Resource Centre
Accenture
Gilbert Library - Study

Support websites

Aware
Aware undertakes to create a society where people affected by stress, depression, bipolar disorder and mood related conditions are understood, supported, free from stigma, and are encouraged to access appropriate therapies. www.aware.ie

BeLonGTo.org
BeLonG To Youth Services is the national organisation supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI+) young people in Ireland. www.belongto.org

Bodywhys
Bodywhys is a national voluntary organisation supporting people affected by eating disorders.
www.bodywhys.ie

Childline
This is part of the Irish Society for the prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC). Childline try to empower, support and protect young people. You can contact Childline for free at any time of the day or night by calling 1800 66 66 66. You can also chat live on the website, or, if you prefer to text, you can contact Childline by sending a text to 50101. www.childline.ie

Jigsaw
Jigsaw is a network of projects across Ireland working with communities to better support young people's mental health and well being. Their mission is to advance the mental health of young people in Ireland (aged 12-25) by influencing change, strengthening communities, and delivering services through our evidence informed and early intervention approach. www.jigsaw.ie

Parentline
This service supports and gives guidance and information on all aspects of being a parent. Parentline is a completely confidential helpline for parents and guardians. www.parentline.ie

Pieta House
Pieta provides a specialised treatment programme for people who have suicidal ideation or who participate in self-harming behaviours. www.pieta.ie

ReachOut.com
ReachOut.com is an online youth mental health service: it helps young people (aged 12 to 25).
www.reachout.com

Samaritans
Samaritans provide a 24 hours a day service to those who are dealing with personal crisis. Whatever you’ve done, whatever life’s done to you, no pressure, no judgement, they are there for you any time. 24-hour helpline: 116 123 www.samaritans.org

SpunOut
SpunOut.ie is Ireland’s youth information website created by young people, for young people. Their aim is to educate and inform young people about the importance of holistic wellbeing and how good health can be maintained, both physically and mentally. www.spunout.ie

YourMentalHealth.ie
A website developed by the HSE’s National Office for Suicide Prevention which highlights some of the things we can do to look after our mental health. www.yourmentalhealth.ie

For academic or careers info, see the following:

To learn more about our very supportive access programmes, see the following:

https://www.tcd.ie/trinityaccess/

https://www.dit.ie/ace/access/