Guidance Corner with Miss Bell

The role of the Guidance Officer is to:

• provide short term counselling for students,
• analyse and interpret psychoeducational assessment and individual student support,
• provide recommendations and advice to students, teachers, leadership team and parents concerning educational, behavioural, mental health and family issues and
• liaise with external agencies (GP’s, Paediatricians, Neurologists, behavioural specialists, tutors, Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Therapists etc. who support students)

How can a student access the Guidance Officer?

• All students require parental consent to access support from the Guidance Officer.
• Teachers and school staff can refer a student to the Guidance Officer by the S.W.A.T Team referral process.
• External agencies and health professionals such as GPs, Child and Youth Mental Health Service (CYMHS), Child Safety, psychologists and psychiatrists can also contact the Guidance Officer if a permission to share information form is signed.

IMPORTANT! Please note that accessing the support of the Guidance Officer is voluntary and students can decline an invitation to meet with me.

Confidentiality

The Guidance Officer works within the boundaries of confidentiality. This means that I do not share anything the student discusses with me unless they disclose:

• They are experiencing thoughts or have plans to hurt themselves.
• They are experiencing thoughts or have plans to hurt someone else.
• They have been hurt / abused by someone else (eg: physical, emotional, neglect and sexual abuse).

In the event of disclosure, I will contact you, as the parent immediately, with the exception of student protection matters where there may need to be some discretion involved.

Have a lovely week.