A COLIN councillor has hit out after claims that school counselling services could be scrapped as the Education Authority face budgetary pressures.
 
Cllr Brian Heading was speaking after it was suggested that crucial services providing support to children and young people are under serious threat as the Department of Education faces cuts of up to £110 million this financial quarter.
 
This could mean that non-statutory services such as the Independent Counselling Service for Schools (ICSS) and the Happy Healthy Minds primary school counselling service could be scrapped in money-saving efforts following the Northern Ireland Office's new budget in the absence of an Executive.
 
Both ICSS and Happy Healthy Minds provide a vital lifeline and support to many young people during times of crisis and poor mental health, such as bereavement, illness, family breakup and other traumas.
 
The potential loss of funding for these services could lead to thousands of children without the support they rely upon in school, adding to NHS waiting lists and backlog as schools lack the funding to facilitate these services.
 
These services are rolled out to almost every primary and post-primary school in the North, and without adequate funding, most will be left with no counselling services.

"The ending of funding this programme is another swipe at the most vulnerable in our school system,” Cllr Heading said. 

“ Many fee paying schools will simply pass the hat around parents to obtain the money needed to maintain mental health services. Schools in deprived areas will not have that luxury.

“The Education Authority need to support schools supporting children by ensuring investment in programmes like Happy Minds.
 
“What benefit is there in cutting this programme? The only benefit is in balancing the budget and ignoring those children and schools where early intervention can actually save money in the long run.  
 
“Once again Brexit and the absence of local and accountable ministers will leave our children and teachers as victims."
 
Theo Burton, Policy Manager of Pure Mental NI added: "It is incredibly worrying that the mental health services that so many children and young people rely on for support could be the first to be scrapped. 
 
“The Department of Education need to be investing in a culture of wellbeing in our schools, not cutting funding to these vital services.
 
“Pure Mental urges the Department of Education and Northern Ireland Office to consider the serious impact that these cuts could have on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in Northern Ireland and to act to ensure these vital services remain.”