Helpful and unhelpful factors in school-based counselling and pastoral care as usual: analysis of qualitative data from the experience of service questionnaire

Figures & data

Table 1. Baseline participant characteristics.

	All participants		SBHC+PCAU		PCAU
	(N = 305)	%	(n = 152)	%	(n = 153)	%
Sex
Female	236	77	116	76.3	120	78
Male	65	21	33	21.7	32	21
Other	4	1	3	2.0	1	1
Age (years)
… 13	133	44	69	45.4	64	42
… 14	109	36	56	36.8	53	35
… 15	60	20	26	17.1	34	22
… 16	3	1	1	0.7	2	1
School year
Year 8	54	18	28	18.4	26	17
Year 9	139	46	71	46.7	68	44
Year 10	93	30	46	30.3	47	31
Year 11	19	6	7	4.6	12	8
Ethnicity
White or European	168	55	85	55.9	83	54
Black, Asian, or mixed, or other	136	45	67	44.1	69	45
Missing	1	0	0		1	1
Disability
No	256	84	129	84.9	127	83
Yes	49	16	23	15.1	26	17

Table 2. Helpful factors: themes and frequencies across conditions.

Domain Subdomain Theme	All participants		SBHC+PCAU		PCAU
Helpful factors	n	%	n	%	n	%
Adult actions
Listening	149	48.7	81	53.6	68	43.9
Offering guidance*	48	15.7	33	21.9	15	9.7
Taking the client seriously	25	8.2	14	9.3	11	7.1
Adult qualities
Kind, caring, and supportive	108	35.3	50	33.1	58	37.4
Understanding	48	15.7	23	15.2	25	16.1
Accepting, non-judgemental, and independent	47	15.4	29	19.2	18	11.6
Warm and friendly	15	4.9	6	4.0	9	5.8
Client processes
Opportunity to talk**	84	27.5	52	34.4	32	20.6
Address problems	47	15.4	29	19.2	18	11.6
Voicing thoughts and feelings	27	8.8	15	9.9	12	7.7
Client outcomes
Positive experience**	42	13.7	31	20.5	11	7.1
Helpful experience	34	11.1	21	13.9	13	8.4
Feel calmer or better	15	4.9	6	4.0	9	5.8

*p < .05 **p < .00. Bonferroni corrected alpha (.05/number of tests).

Table 3. Unhelpful factors: themes and frequencies across conditions.

Domain Subdomain Theme	All participants		SBHC+PCAU		PCAU
Unhelpful factors	n	%	n	%	n	%
Adult actions
Not directive enough**	21	6.9	17	11.3	4	2.6
Client processes
I found it hard to talk	14	4.6	7	4.6	7	4.5
Client outcome
Did not help	20	6.5	10	6.6	10	6.5
School/trial context
The timing of sessions was inconvenient	14	4.6	9	6.0	5	3.2

*p < .05 **p < .00. Bonferroni corrected alpha (.05/number of tests).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request