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Counselling in Primary Schools in Aotearoa New Zealand Paul Flanagan
Informa�on about a research project on counselling in primary schools.
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Researcher:
My name is Paul Flanagan. I teach in the Counsellor Educa�on programmes at the University of Waikato. Prior to my teaching role, I was a counsellor in Hamilton working with children and their families, and this meant I was frequently connec�ng with principals and teachers at the children’s schools. Most of this work was when I was a Specialist Services Therapist with (then) Child Youth & Family, and then with Parentline before moving to the university.
Background:
I am interested in scoping some of the experience of counselling in primary schools. Counselling in primary schools is not a common service in Aotearoa New Zealand. Where counselling is available it seems, anecdotally, to be a service provided for specific events, such as projects funded by the Ministry of Social Development or ACC to contract agencies for provision of service in rela�on to social issues, such as family violence response or, as in the case following the earthquakes in Canterbury, funded through the local DHB. I’m aware there are a handful of schools where specific employment contracts exist. I am interested in researching where and how counselling has been offered in primary schools, to document the experience and provide data that could promote further expansion of counselling services in primary schools.
In July 2020 the Associate Minister of Educa�on, Tracey Mar�n announced that the NZ Government was making funding available for counselling in schools, including primary schools, as a result of the effects of COVID-19 (NZ Government, 2020). Early in 2021 the Ministry of Educa�on (MoE) offered an Expression of Interest document to contract for counselling services in schools (MoE, 2021). Since then, the MoE has been working with a consulta�on group from the New Zealand Associa�on of Counsellors (NZAC) to determine criteria related to counsellors and their professional contexts for alloca�on of funding.
Focus of research:
This study is part of an approved study leave project and takes up my interest to research the experience of schools and counsellors where counselling has been offered in NZ primary schools. The study will include a
review of literature on counselling with school children ages 5-12; analysis of documents related to government policy and counselling with school children; and interviews with counsellors and principals in primary schools, to explore the experience of counselling in their context (this could involve ques�ons about each school's processes, policies, procedures with regard to the employment or contrac�ng of counsellors). It is related to this last aspect of the project that I invite you to par�cipate in this study.
This research has been approved by Te Kura Toi Tangata School of Educa�on Research Ethics Commi�ee (Approval # FEDU047/21).
What I am asking from you:
I ask that you read this Informa�on sheet, and ask any ques�ons you may have about this research. You are invited to par�cipate in an interview about the experience of counselling in your school (about 30-60 minutes).
Par�cipants:
I am asking (deputy) principals and counsellors in schools, and managers of agencies who might contract counsellors in schools (e.g., Family Works, Mana Ake), to par�cipate in interviews about their experience of the provision of counselling services in primary schools. Ques�ons will ask about how counselling came to be offered in the school, such as the processes involved, benefits and difficul�es of offering the service, funding sources.
What will happen to your informa�on?
If you agree to par�cipate, I will ask you to read and sign a consent form to state that you have understood the purpose of this research, had an opportunity to ask ques�ons, and agree to par�cipate. The consent form will also acknowledge that you understand that the interviews will be audio recorded and then transcribed. The transcrip�on will be offered to you for review and comment. These transcrip�ons will then be used by me for analysis, and for ar�cles and possibly presenta�ons (at conferences and seminars).
I ask that you are clearly understand that: • you have the right to decline, and to withdraw a�er agreeing to par�cipate • your iden�ty will not be disclosed, nor will the iden�ty of your workplace • your iden�ty will be given a name different from your own • in re-telling any story of quota�on of your words, I will take care to remove any iden�fying informa�on • you can withdraw your contribu�on from this research up un�l the transcripts are used for analysis (i.e., by 8 October). A�er this date it will not be possible to withdraw your contribu�on.
Who can I talk to about this research?
If you have any ques�ons or concerns rela�ng to this project I ask you to speak with me.
If you want to speak to someone about how I conduct this research, you are welcome to contact my Head of School, Associate Professor Sally Peters, by email sally.peters@waikato.ac.nz or phone: 07 838 4466 ext. 8386
If you would like to contact me about par�cipa�ng, asking ques�ons or seeking clarifica�on, please email me at paulf@waikato.ac.nz or phone 027 403 7564
