Is it confidential?

A key feature of our service is that information discussed in the counselling session is treated confidentially. Counselling is a time when children need to feel able to talk about concerns without fear of them being discussed elsewhere.

This includes not discussing the work with parents/carers, unless the child requests or gives consent for this. This can be hard for parents/carers to accept at times, but confidentiality is crucial for establishing trust and for enabling children to speak openly and freely about what is concerning them.

If a child appears to be at risk of significant harm it may be appropriate to seek help from other agencies in order to keep them safe. The counsellor would aim to discuss this first with the child concerned and their parent/carer before informing the person in school responsible for ‘safeguarding’ issues.

Whilst sessions are confidential, all parents/carers of primary school children will be offered an opportunity to meet with their child’s counsellor at least 2-3 times during the time they are receiving counselling. This will provide an opportunity for any concerns to be voiced and any questions to be answered. It is always our hope that talking with a counsellor will lead to greater openness with parents and families, however you may need to allow a little time for this to happen.