Advice and guidance on emotional health and wellbeing
Your Emotional Health and Wellbeing
The ‘Pupils' Emotional Health and Wellbeing Programme’ is now called the ‘i Matter Programme’. This new title places particular emphasis on each of us as an individual and the importance of having a balanced life that is centred on being happy, whole and emotionally healthy.
The first of a series of materials under this Programme is a suite of 20 topics of concern to young people. Schools can use these topics in a number of ways and the topics are available in homework diary insert, poster and leaflet format.
These materials are available in English and Irish and in other languages upon request.
iMatter homework diary inserts - English version
iMatter English language posters
iMatter English language leaflets
iMatter homework diary inserts - Irish version
iMatter leaflets Irish version
Independent Counselling Service for Schools (ICSS)
Counselling in schools can make an important contribution to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of young people. Pupils experiencing stress or emotional problems find it difficult to reach their potential. A ‘listening ear’ can sometimes make a great difference. The Independent Counselling Service for Schools (ICSS) is there to provide a ‘listening ear’ and works as an integral part of a schools pastoral care system to help provide this support to pupils.
The Department of Education has funded an independent counselling service for post-primary aged pupils’ in grant-aided schools since 2007. The support provided conforms to high professional standards and current best practice for school based counselling. All counsellors have at least a Diploma in Counselling and are experienced in working with young people.
A new version of the “Independent Counselling Service for Schools Handbook” has been published (September 2012). The Handbook is a development and clarification of the Interim Handbook issued in April 2007 and reflects our experience of providing the service since then and the feedback from schools staff, pupils and the service providers.
A printed version of the document will be made available to all schools using the ICSS. The ‘Handbook’ sets out how the ICSS should operate to ensure that the service provided for pupils’ is safe, accessible and of a high professional standard.
