Guidelines for Counselling at Hampton School

• Counselling is available at Hampton School as part of the pastoral support which the School community offers to its pupils.

• The process of counselling has been described as “giving clients [pupils] an opportunity to explore, discover and clarify ways of living more resourcefully and towards greater well-being” [British Association of counselling and Psychotherapy 1991]. The School counsellors work according to the  BACP Ethical Framework.

• Although a whole range of issues, including difficulties with work commitments, stress, depression, bereavement, and coping with family tensions and change may prompt pupils to seek counselling, or their carers to recommend it, the overall aim is as above: to support and promote the well-being of the boys and young men in Hampton School’s care.

• Referrals
  
  Referrals may come in a variety of ways:
  
  Self-referral by the pupil:

• The easiest way for a pupil to arrange to see a counsellor is by email. The relevant email addresses are: k.cox@hamptonschool.org.uk ; c.cullen@hamptonschool.org.uk ; p.croucher@hamptonschool.org.uk Pupils may also ask for a note to be put in the Visiting Counsellor’s pigeon-hole in the Staff Common Room.

• Pupils can also book an appointment to see a counsellor by speaking with the School Nurse, who provides an entirely confidential referral service - no other member of staff [including other counsellors] or pupils will be informed that such an arrangement has been made.

• The Head of Year or Form Tutor may refer boys for counselling by liaising with a member of the counselling team or the School Nurse, or by encouraging the pupil to self-refer.

• The pupil’s preference over which of the Counsellors he sees needs to be paramount and whoever has the first discussion with the pupil about counselling should raise the question of which member of the counselling team he would most like to see. Pupils should be given time to think about this and the opportunity to change their minds both prior to the counselling beginning, and, with proper discussion, after an initial session or two with the first choice of Counsellor. Whenever possible, pupil preference is met.

• Parents may contact the Deputy Headmaster (Mr Kevin Knibbs), the Head of Year, the Form Tutor, or any member of the counselling team at the School, requesting that their son should have counselling. Our strong preference is that parents should encourage their sons to self-refer, rather than making arrangements on his behalf.
• Counselling can form part of a support package, discussed and agreed with a pupil and his parents as an aid through difficult times (for example, a situation involving behavioural or attitudinal problems).
• Counselling cannot be prescribed as part of a disciplinary package in which a boy’s place at the School is in part dependent upon him receiving counselling or upon the results of counselling.
• In all circumstances, the counselling should only begin on a voluntary basis, with the boy’s unforced consent.

• Some of the issues concerning this have already been covered above.

• The Counsellors can promise confidentiality to their clients, within certain guidelines. These are made clear in full in the BACP [British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy] ethical framework, which is available upon request or can be viewed at http://www.bacp.co.uk/ethical_framework/.

• The position regarding confidentiality will be clarified with the pupil at the beginning of the counselling process.

• The only occasion when a counsellor would break confidentiality is where the pupil indicates that he or another person is at risk or in danger. It should be emphasised that such a breach should only take place in consultation with the pupil, unless extreme circumstances necessitate otherwise. Such breaches of confidence are very rare indeed. The School Counsellors operate within the School’s established policies concerning Safeguarding (Child Protection).

• All parents are informed of the arrangements for counselling when their son enters the School. Any parents who do not wish these resources to be available to their sons during their time at the School are requested to inform the Deputy Headmaster in writing immediately. The names of any boys whose parents make this request will be provided in confidence to Heads of Year, and to the School Counsellors. Parental wishes will be seriously considered, but the pupil’s wellbeing is paramount in any decision. It is usual that the parents of boys who are receiving counselling in the First and Second Years are informed that this is taking place. It should be noted, however, that this may not happen prior to the first or even second session, and that Counsellors and Heads of Years reserve the right not to inform parents if they deem that the particular circumstances warrant this, though this is unusual.

• Parents of boys in the Third Year and above who seek counselling are not informed as a matter of course that this is taking place, though the counsellors may encourage such boys to tell their parents.

• When parents are informed, this will usually be undertaken by the pupil’s Head of Year, rather  than directly by the Counsellor. It is generally felt that direct contact between the Counsellor and the parents is undesirable, certainly without the pupil’s permission being given. This is to avoid the counselling relationship of trust being undermined. Should contact take place, it must always be remembered and made clear, that the pupil, not the parent is the client, and that the Counsellor thus has the need and right to maintain confidentiality. If such conversations do take place without prior discussion of this with the pupil, the matter should be discussed with the pupil at the earliest opportunity following the event.

• Counsellors will keep a formal record of pupils seen, which may include brief mention of types of problems discussed.
• Pupils are legally entitled to see records relating to themselves and although there might be circumstances in which it might be desirable for members of the counselling team to have access to records relating to a particular pupil, such records will normally be treated as discreet and confidential.
• Such formal records are in addition to any private case notes which the Counsellors may make confidentially for aide-memoire purposes.

• Hitherto, the ethos of trust that has characterised the arrangements for counselling has greatly helped both the counselling process itself, and the degree to which counselling has played a successful role within pastoral care at the School.
• This has involved and will continue to involve recognition that counsellors should not be required or expected to disclose confidential information to senior staff or Heads of Year, departing from the rules of confidentiality set out above.
• However, this does not preclude Counsellors from being consulted or involved in discussions about the most appropriate forms of support and response to pupils’ pastoral or behavioural difficulties. Counsellors may be able to contribute valuably to these processes without disclosing confidential information.

• The counselling arrangements are explained to boys in whole-School and Year Group assemblies.
• Form Tutors, Heads of Year, Sixth Form Mentors and the School Nurse can also explain the arrangements to boys as needed.
• If any pupil or parent has questions or concerns about the counselling arrangements, they are invited to contact the lead Counsellor, Ms Katherine Cox, or the Deputy Headmaster ( Mr Kevin Knibbs). K.Knibbs@hamptonschool.org.uk  Such contact will be treated confidentially.