Mentoring Counselling Services


	Mentoring Counselling Services Developing Pastoral Teachers in Omagh CBS Staff at Omagh CBS have really shown their commitment to developing the pastoral care of their students throughout the last couple of years and this year has been no exception. In order to enhance their already excellent support of students, staff members have embarked on a programme of training which will give them a greater understanding of the difficulties experienced by the young students they have in their care and develop the skills required to enable them to assist young people when the need arises. In August 2005, celebrated writer and Professor of Psychology at UCC, Dr Tony Humphreys addressed the teachers from Omagh CBS raising awareness among the staff on the issues of adult and adolescent self esteem. Since September 2005, Mr Michael Mc Gowan, Education Officer with ACCORD has followed up by delivering a programme to the whole staff focussing on the essential skills of a pastoral care teacher. In addition, during the first term of this year, Mr Mc Gowan took the first cohort of staff through an eight week intensive “Introduction to Counselling Skills” course. This course has been recently designed by ACCORD and has concentrated on the development of skills of empathic listening, contracting, having unconditional positive regard, paraphrasing and immediacy among others. These recent training initiatives will enable the school to expand its already successful mentoring team and its mentoring services to students. Mr Mc Gowan is now taking the second cohort of Omagh CBS staff through the course and ACCORD is planning to introduce the course into other schools in the region. Developing Pastoral Teachers in Omagh CBS Staff at Omagh CBS have really shown their commitment to developing the pastoral care of their students throughout the last couple of years and this year has been no exception. In order to enhance their already excellent support of students, staff members have embarked on a programme of training which will give them a greater understanding of the difficulties experienced by the young students they have in their care and develop the skills required to enable them to assist young people when the need arises. In August 2005, celebrated writer and Professor of Psychology at UCC, Dr Tony Humphreys addressed the teachers from Omagh CBS raising awareness among the staff on the issues of adult and adolescent self esteem. Since September 2005, Mr Michael Mc Gowan, Education Officer with ACCORD has followed up by delivering a programme to the whole staff focussing on the essential skills of a pastoral care teacher. In addition, during the first term of this year, Mr Mc Gowan took the first cohort of staff through an eight week intensive “Introduction to Counselling Skills” course. This course has been recently designed by ACCORD and has concentrated on the development of skills of empathic listening, contracting, having unconditional positive regard, paraphrasing and immediacy among others. These recent training initiatives will enable the school to expand its already successful mentoring team and its mentoring services to students. Mr Mc Gowan is now taking the second cohort of Omagh CBS staff through the course and ACCORD is planning to introduce the course into other schools in the region.

Contact Details
Address: Christian Brothers Grammar School, Kevlin Road, Omagh, Co Tyrone, BT78 1LD
Telephone: 028 8224 3567 Fax: 028 8224 0656 E Mail: info@cbs.omagh.ni.sch.uk