Risedale College has appointed a full-time counsellor to help the wellbeing of its pupils and staff.
Lisa Smith, who joined in January, has worked as a counsellor for the past six years.
Lisa will mainly be working with pupils in school offering one to one counselling sessions to provide early help for any mental health issues.
She will also be providing remote sessions for those pupils currently not in school due to Covid-19 and group support as things return to normal.
Alongside Lisa’s work with pupils, she will also be supporting staff, including a monthly wellbeing forum.
Lisa said: “In the past I’ve always worked across a number of schools so what I’m really looking forward to is being a real part of one school community – Risedale.
“It is so rewarding when you see the progress of a young person through the counselling process.
“It is strange starting a new job in the middle of a pandemic but I’m just really excited to get going. I think what we’ve all learned in the past ten months is that you need to be flexible, adaptable and above all listen and respond with kindness.
“I am particularly excited about working with the young people so it is a service that they can help develop.”
Headteacher Colin Scott said: “There’s never been a more important time to support the Risedale Family and let them know that we are here for them.
“The health and wellbeing of our pupils and staff is our absolute priority during this difficult time of lockdown and we know that Lisa will be an integral part of our already outstanding pastoral team that do so much important work here at Risedale.”
