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Guidance & Counselling

De La Salle College Waterford is a learning community where all students are valued and educated in preparation for a meaningful life. It is the policy of De La Salle College to support all students in an appropriate manner through guidance and counselling services, which reflect respect for the individual in its student centred holistic approach. The enhancement of self-esteem and life skills and the development of potential - academic, personal and emotional - leading to greater personal autonomy for all students are its central goals.

Goals & Aims

The Guidance Programme in De La Salle College aims to provide support for learners to enable them to make wise and informed personal, educational and career choices. De la Salle College’s Guidance Department strives to be inclusive, providing for the needs of all students.

The Guidance & Counselling Department in De la Salle College strives to help all students in the school to:

  • develop an awareness and acceptance of their talents and abilities
  • identify and explore opportunities
  • provide support for learners to enable them to make informed personal, educational and career choices.
  • grow in independence and take responsibility for themselves
  • make informed choices about their lives and follow through on these choices
  • The aims of the Guidance programme are as follows:
  • Foster a sense of personal responsibility for identifying future educational/vocational goals.
  • Provide experiences that promote career development and prepare students for the transition to work/higher education.
  • Focus on an individual's strength and potentials so as to create a strategy for promoting discussion of student's educational/careers development in order to discourage excuses for irresponsible action.
  • Introduce and foster a process of evaluating realistically, attainable career/higher education goals.
  • Encourage the pupils to define expectations.
  • Overcome any information deficit on careers/education.

What is Guidance?

Guidance in second-level schools refers to a range of learning experiences, provided in a developmental sequence, that assist students to develop self-management skills which will lead to effective choices (personal, social, educational and career) and decisions about their lives and to make transitions consequent on these choices. It is the policy of De La Salle College to support all students; the Guidance programme addresses the needs of students through a range of activities which incorporate the following three interlinked areas:

1. Personal and Social Education / Development

2. Educational Guidance

3. Vocational / Career Guidance

Counselling

Counselling is also a key part of the school guidance programme, offered on an individual or group basis as part of a developmental learning process and at moments of personal crisis. Counselling may be seen as the empowerment of students to make decisions, solve problems, develop coping strategies and resolve difficulties they be experiencing. Counselling may include personal counselling,

educational counselling, career counselling or combinations of these.

At all times it is the policy of the Guidance & Counselling Department to respect and value a student who is receiving support and to provide the student with a safe, positive and accepting atmosphere. In line with best practice, students who are receiving external support will not attend both internal (school) and external counselling – to avoid conflict with the counselling process. Many students may attend for a single counselling session, while others, in response to their individual needs and the concerns raised, may require additional counselling (2 – 6 sessions maximum).  If a student requires support which goes beyond the resources of the school, or if a student requires targeted expertise intervention which is beyond the expertise and resources of the school or emergency intervention then a student will be referred for additional support, in consultation with the parents/guardians; the school counselling service will be seen as a ‘holding service’ in such cases – supporting students in the interim space between referral and external support.

Confidentiality

It is generally understood that conversations with the Guidance Counsellor are confidential.  Students should feel comfortable that conversations with the guidance counsellor are private and confidential and this confidentiality will be maintained except in the following circumstances:

a. Where a student is at risk or is considered to be putting themselves or others at risk

b. Where an illegal activity is going to take place

c. Where there are concerns regarding child protection.

Making a Careers Appointment:

To make a Guidance / Counselling appointment call to Ms Murphy or Ms Carey on the B floor at the 11 o’clock break and bring your timetable with you. Please see the Career Guidance notice board across from Ms Murphy’s office for more details on who your designated counsellor is. 6th year students should complete a VGI form, located outside Ms Murphy’s office door, before making their Careers appointments.

Careers & Course Information

For up to date information on careers & courses, study skills, talks, CAO lunch time sessions, deadlines & important dates, please see the Career Guidance Notice boards outside the Guidance Counsellors’ offices and outside Ms Murphy’s office. Follow @murphyguidance on Twitter for up to date alerts on careers, courses, Open Days, etc.

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