Hermitage Academy: ‘Heartbreaking’ loss of school counselling service

A service in place for nearly two years in Argyll and Bute’s schools, including Hermitage Academy, was passed by the NHS to council bosses – who then opted to start a new support system from scratch.

Two counsellors based at the Academy had got jobs elsewhere, while others have been left unemployed at Christmas without explanation.

The Advertiser reported last week how questions had been asked at a meeting of Argyll and Bute Council’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee about changes to the service.

But counsellors have now said that statements issued by NHS Highland and the council don’t match up and have left them even more confused.

The school counselling service has been in place since January 2021, but will now be put out to tender.

Jobs lost

They said nine counsellors and a team lead lost their jobs in October.

A council spokesperson told the Advertiser last week that a new service would be in place by January and fully operational by March 2023.

But a now-unemployed counsellor, who asked not to be named while they seek work, told the Advertiser: “We couldn’t understand a fully operational service was now getting put out to tender.

“Decisions have been made and these decisions do not seem to be transparent. There doesn’t seem to be any rationale given behind the NHS decision to cease to be a provider, or why Argyll and Bute Council put it out to tender.

“They had nine experienced counsellors and we spent two years building up relations with educational staff, with parents, and an unknown organisation that’s going to come in and will have to start all over again.

“It doesn’t make sense at all.

“And where does it leave the young people in Argyll and Bute? What are they going to do until the end of March?”

'No counselling in place'

They added: “As it stands just now there is no counselling service in place. The service is not in existence at present and referrals were stopped on December 7.

“This has left the children and young people of Argyll and Bute without access to these much needed services.”

A second counsellor said they had pupils on their caseload now left with no further support. Some were “very uncomfortable” with the situation.

They said: “I have had a lot of staff from different schools raise concerns about what they will do to properly support children and young people during this time.

“Not to mention that the run up to Christmas is a very difficult time for some young people. It is well known there is a real need for counselling support within schools especially since Covid.”

There were 600 referrals to the service in the first 14 months, including for self-harming, suicidal thoughts, suicidal ideation, anxiety, depression, family issues, relationships and more.

Extra funding - then service ditched

The next three months are in the run-up to the stressful exam period at schools and the cost-of-living crisis potentially impacting at home.

The former counsellor said NHS Highland told staff in May that the service would continue, though it was unclear how many would keep their jobs.

But in October, Argyll and Bute’s head social worker, David Gibson, emailed them that the council was taking on delivery of the service and would put it out to tender, while their contracts would end.

On December 13, two days after the counsellors’ contracts ended, Alison McGrory, health improvement principal at NHS Highland, told the area committee: “I understand that these staff are being put to the council, so certainly the aspiration is that the school counselling service will carry on.”

And a council spokesperson said: “The service is still in place.”

But the axed counsellor told the Advertiser: “Our remit was to set up and develop a counselling service for children and young people from the age of 10 up to 18.

'Very successful'

“It was very successful in terms of the service we delivered.

“To say we were shocked was an understatement. We had been given assurances the service was going to continue.

“I was absolutely stunned and we had meetings with Mr Gibson. I had so many questions about why had the NHS ceased to be the service provider.

“The council had secured the funding so we hoped the council would take the service in-house and we later realised it had been put out to tender.

“We could not understand why a fully operational service that had been up and running for almost two years was now getting put out to tender and we would all not have jobs in December.”

Politicians at all levels have demanded answers to the situation.

'Very concerned'

Argyll and Bute MP Brendan O’Hara said: “I am very concerned by the news that the counselling in schools service is no longer going to be provided by the excellent counsellors who have been so dedicated to the children of Argyll and Bute for the past two years.

“Since the service was rolled out, I understand it has supported more than 600 children across the constituency. The possibility of this being withdrawn whilst the council sets up their own operation seems unnecessary and will be detrimental to the mental health of local young people.

“I have written to the HSCP to seek clarity on why the decision was taken to withdraw from providing this service - and why more was not done to ensure the provision continued without disruption.”

And Jackie Baillie MSP said: “It is disingenuous to suggest that this service is continuing to run when at least two of the staff members have ceased employment. That this has happened in the run up to Christmas is just plain wrong.

“To stop referrals to a service which helps students about to embark on exams is incredibly short-sighted by Argyll and Bute Council.

“They need to review this decision straight away to ensure that there is a continuation of this popular and much-needed counselling service.

“Our young people have faced a multitude of difficulties since the start of the pandemic and they really now need to have some stable support in place, not for it to be swept from under their feet at the last minute.”

No suggested alternatives

Argyll and Bute’s health and social care partnership (HSCP) has offered no suggestions of where young people go until a new counselling service is set up.

The Advertiser asked a number of questions, including where children and families should get help for mental health challenges.

A spokeswoman replied: “The counselling service operated by NHS Highland was commissioned by Argyll and Bute Council on a two-year fixed term basis.

“This fixed term was dictated by the length of guaranteed funding from the Scottish Government at the time the service was set up. As a result, all staff employed by the NHS in the service were engaged for the same fixed period.

“At the end of the fixed term contract it was appropriate for all parties to consider the future shape, size and nature of the service.

“At the same time it was confirmed that funding would be mainstreamed into council budgets. NHS Highland indicated it did not wish to continue as the commissioned provider of the service beyond the initial two-year period.

“Thereafter an appropriate commissioning process was initiated by Argyll and Bute Council. Tenders were invited for a new counselling and support service for the schools in Argyll and Bute.”

New contract awarded

And council bosses told the Advertiser: "Argyll and Bute Council prioritised a tendering process to ensure continuity of service provision when the NHS provision of counselling services came to an end.

"Our priority was to ensure as little disruption as possible to our children and young people and although there was a brief, temporary pause in accepting new referrals, the service remained in place with those children and young people already engaged continuing to receive the support in place from the existing team.

"We are delighted to confirm that a new contract has been awarded to a highly experienced provider and that the new service will be rolled out in January in order to continue to respond to the needs of our children and young people.

"The positive mental health and emotional wellbeing of our children and young people remains a priority for the council and our education service has worked hard to develop ‘Our Children, their Nurturing Education’ – a strategy created to ensure children and young people have the emotional and psychological support they need.

"This strategy includes a number of support measures which are in place in educational establishments across Argyll and Bute, and we are proud to have had this work highlighted by Education Scotland’s in their National Health and Wellbeing Review."

'Need not gone away'

While the former area counsellors start new jobs or seek employment at Christmas, their prime concern remains for children in Helensburgh and across Argyll and Bute.

Our source said: “The counselling service was set up in response to the demand for mental health services particularly for children and young people during the pandemic and the impact the pandemic had and still is having on mental health.

“That need has not gone away.

“We consistently saw referrals where children and young people were suffering from anxiety, depression, isolation, withdrawal from family and friendships.

“There was never a week where we did not have referrals coming through from schools, from GPs as well and self-referrals.

“The service was clearly successful. We got the funding again from the Scottish Government so obviously we were doing something right.

“But for some reason the NHS decides not to be the service provider and the money has gone to Argyll and Bute and they made the decision to put it out to tender.

“It could have been, in our opinion, considered to keep us on board - we could have transferred over or been given a new contract. Why put it out to tender? It still doesn’t make sense.

“And for a service to be stopped – it’s not even paused, the service no longer exists. For children to not have access to that, that’s what drives my concerns.

“To be told you’re going to lose your job two weeks before Christmas, it wasn’t pleasant.

“I know how important this is to children and young people. I’ve listened to the guidance staff, the head teachers, the principal teachers, say how shocking this is to realise we’re not around, especially at this time of year.

“It’s heartbreaking to think what a home will be like for them right now.”

Argyll and Bute Council has been contacted for comment.

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