THE Scottish Government has pledged £20 million for the hiring of “essential” counsellors at colleges and universities in a bid to protect students’ mental health.
The Holyrood funding, due to be paid over the next four years, is enough to hire 80 mental health professionals at institutions across the country.
The cash will be paid in instalments to colleges and universities every month from December and is part of a broader attempt by the Scottish Government to revamp mental health services.
A total of £250m has been earmarked for that work.
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Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Supporting the health and wellbeing of students is essential if they are to achieve their full potential.
“Our significant investment – in more than 80 additional mental health counsellors over the next four years – will strengthen the support available in every college and university in Scotland.
“This is part of our wider investment in the services supporting young people’s mental health, including the development of new community wellbeing services and a 24/7 crisis support service.
“I want every student to be able to access the mental health support they need, regardless of whether they are at college or university, and we will work closely with the sectors to achieve this.”
In this academic year, colleges and universities will receive £3.6m, with a further £100,000 for the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to aid with the implementation of the funding.
The SFC said 38 full-time equivalent counsellors will be hired by universities and the remaining 42 will be employed in Scotland’s colleges.
Liam McCabe, president of National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland, said: “We’re delighted that the Scottish Government has committed to invest in more counsellors for Scotland’s colleges and universities and that students will begin benefitting this year.
“NUS Scotland is committed to ensuring every student, no matter where they study, has access to the best mental health support and we look forward to working with the Scottish Government to deliver just that in the years ahead.”
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Karen Watt, chief executive of the Scottish Funding Council, described good mental health as “fundamental” to academic attainment in students, adding: “The Scottish Funding Council is committed to making this investment work for all those who need access to counselling services.”
And Shona Struthers, chief executive of Colleges Scotland, said: “The mental health and wellbeing of the college sector’s staff and students is an extremely important matter and the sector has been working closely with the Scottish Government, Scottish Funding Council, NUS Scotland and the university sector to enhance support in colleges.
“Although substantial progress has been made in this area, there is still more to be done to ensure that all colleges – in collaboration with agencies such as NHS Scotland and the Third Sector – can quickly respond with the necessary and appropriate support for staff and students and at the point of requirement.
“We are pleased that the Scottish Government is committed to providing equity of access to counselling support across colleges and universities by the end of the four-year funding period, with the development of robust data analysis to examine levels of demand being prioritised, and that there is agreement for individual colleges and regions to have flexibility to use this additional resource to deliver enhanced counselling provision according to local circumstances.”
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