Teachers and local education authorities are increasingly asking for information about setting up counselling services in schools.

In response to the increased interest, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) has published a book explaining how schools can best meet the needs of pupils.

It adds to the strength of the school team to have a proper resource there

Phillip Hodson, fellow of the BACP

The publication - which will be sent to schools in September - comes as a special counselling service is made available to pupils, parents and staff from the village of Soham, Cambridgeshire following the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

Fellow of the BACP, Phillip Hodson, said there was now a greater acceptance of counselling, with high profile tragedies like the Soham murders and the September 11 attacks making the public aware of the need for professional help.

And nowadays schools felt they had a greater duty of care towards their pupils, said Mr Hudson.

"It's partly the kind of culture we live in where schools get asked why they didn't look after them," he said.

"And we're also living in a society that, in some ways, isn't working as well as it might - the long-hours culture and family breakdown often means there isn't the time or opportunity for family members to spot a child in distress."

Support for teachers

Mr Hodson said that, while 50 years ago a teacher may have "counselled" an unhappy child, it was more helpful for teachers to be able to send a child to see the school counsellor.

"It adds to the strength of the school team to have a proper resource there," he said.

"It also means pupils can go to someone who is trained to deal with awkward feelings - not a family member or a teachers - and therefore the risk of embarrassment is reduced.

"Teachers tend to be authority figures and you would then have to see them in maths or wherever.

"So a school counsellor provides a haven where you can say anything you like in confidence," said Mr Hodson.

High-profile cases

Mr Hodson said there was a link between schools' growing interest in counselling and the way crimes were now well covered in the media.

"Events are now played out in the media and the police have to use that. - so the event is a wider trauma as a result.

"But they had horrible murders in the past and many horrific rural murders, it's just that people in Birmingham wouldn't know about a case in Norwich.

"But now we have opened up a window on our society and we see thing we didn't used to," said Mr Hodson.