The School-based Counselling Operating Toolkit was first published in 2011. At the time, the toolkit built on the School-based Counselling Services in Wales – A National Strategy (2008). Together, the national strategy and the original toolkit paved the way for new legislation (under the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013), requiring local authorities (LAs) to make reasonable provision of independent counselling services for children and young people ages between 11 and 18 and learners in Year 6 at primary school.
The original toolkit was a joint collaboration between the Welsh Government and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). This revised version has also been developed with input from the BACP and in close collaboration with a working group comprising counselling leads and service providers from LAs across Wales. IT reflects various changes since the original guidance was published, such as changes in law and policy, increased provision of counselling for children and young people in a community setting, and the use of online counselling.
For further information on this guidance or to download the full document, please visit the Welsh Government website.
