For participants, this course meant a return to face-to-face training. After this period of absence of face-to-face meetings, in fact, particular importance was given to sharing experiences and common reflection.

Counselling teams face an increasing number of issues. The post-pandemic situation and the new laws on education and vocational training approved in Spain are creating a period of many new challenges and demands for training centres, in addition to the ordinary ones faced by the Province and its team.

Counselling work is multifaceted, with many different and simultaneous fronts in constant evolution in the three fundamental areas addressed: personal, academic and community orientation.

In addition to more traditional tasks and functions, there are issues that are of particular relevance and concern to guidance teams. For example:

Mentoring activities and comprehensive training: it is necessary to give a new impetus to the centres, starting from an updated approach which responds to the needs of the students at the present time. Hence we are working on proposals for processes and resources.

Inclusion and Universal Learning Design. How can Salesian centres be made even more inclusive? It is essential that the members of the guidance teams continue to reflect and be formed in order to be able to guide and accompany the management teams and ordinary teachers, who are the ones who then have to put the projects into practice. With this in mind, a group of counsellors participated in the  'Innovate to Include' seminar organised by the National Schools Team.

Affective and sexual education; so necessary and sometimes insufficiently addressed. Progress is being made on a proposal in line with the approach developed by the National Youth Ministry Centre.

Prevention of risks related to Internet and technology. One direction for reflection and work that is being addressed in collaboration with the cyber-psychology team from the International University of La Rioja, with the aim of offering resources to students and families.

Protection of minors and vulnerable adults. Many of the local protection officers in Salesian houses are members of the counselling teams. In addition, prevention, referral to specialists and accompaniment of difficult situations are part of their tasks. Therefore, much work is being done on their formation and on developing materials for the entire educative and pastoral community, as evidenced by the initiatives proposed for 25 April, World Day against Child Abuse.

Violent youth groups. At the request of the Provincial, reflection was initiated on this phenomenon in society, to encourage an approach to the most vulnerable and provide suggestions for prevention and intervention.

In addition, other topics are of particular interest at this time, such as mental health and the role of the welfare coordinator and his functions, and how to integrate it well into what already exists in schools. In general, there is a gradual shift of functions from other community services - health and social - to the education system: diagnostic, therapeutic, health and monitoring aspects which entail great responsibility and do not correspond to the traditional functions of the school.

Irune López,
Provincial Coordinator, SSM Counselling Teams

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