About the Inquiry
In the Scottish Government’s 2018 Programme for Government there was a commitment to enable all secondary schools in Scotland to have access to at least one qualified counsellor by September 2020.The Committee has agreed to hold an evidence session in February 2020 on progress towards delivering this policy, specifically focussing on provision in schools.
In advance of this meeting the Committee has written to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills in respect on the progress on the implementation of this policy. The Conveners letter and the response from the Cabinet Secretary is below. The Cabinet Secretary also attached Guidance for Local Authorities.
Timetable
Evidence session 5 February 2020
The committee heard evidence from a panel of Organisations who deliver Counselling services and from the Scottish Government and COSLA
You can view the video of the meeting here.
Evidence session 9 September 2020
The committee heard evidence from representatives of the Association of Scottish Principal Educational Psychologists (ASPEP), COSLA and the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES)
You can view the video of the meeting here
Following the meeting on the 9th September the Committee agreed to write to COSLA regarding further information. The letter to and the response from COSLA can be read below.
Evidence
Submissions January 2020
The Committee received the following written submissions.
Submissions from organisations:
Submissions from Local Authorities:
Several Local Authorities submitted reports that they had sent to the Scottish Government in Autumn 2019.
Glasgow
Submissions September 2020
The Committee received the following written submissions ahead of its meeting on 9 September.
Correspondence
The Committee wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills on 21 February 2020 to highlight issues raised at the 5 February roundtable. The letter to and the response from Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills can be read below.