Available Monday - Wednesday

Location: next to Anna Grant’s room and the lighting deck

Liberton High School has a counsellor who is in school for three days a week and young people can be referred by their PSL, or family, or self-referral and if appropriate can access the counsellor for a series of sessions. 

• Support for Learning

• Wellbeing Hub

• Other in School Supports

• Curricular Support (partnership)

• Out of School Supports

PSO & PSA (Michelle Windram and Lora Bold)

Nurture groups offer young people the opportunity to work with members of staff in the wellbeing hub to address social and emotional needs that can affect pupils’ learning. It allows pupils to develop key life skills on a supportive environment.

Pupil Support Officer (PSO) or Support for Learning Teacher

A space for young people who may be experiencing challenges and who have vulnerabilities that a nurture-based approach and check in with a member of the support team would benefit from.  This would most likely be prepare for their first lesson and to help them get ready to go to class. 

Michelle Windram

A short-term targeted intervention for young people beginning to display signs of low-level anxiety and would benefit from early intervention around developing anxiety management strategies.  This is delivered in school by a Pupil Support Officer in conjunction with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).

Sophie Fagan & Lora Bold

This is a small group intervention run through our Wellbeing Hub, by trained Pupil Support Officers or Support for Learning staff and is a short-term program targeted at young people who require additional support around grief, loss, or change and transition.

Wellbeing Hub Staff

This is a small group intervention run through our Wellbeing Hub, by trained Pupil Support Officers or Integrated Support staff and is a short-term program targeted at young people who require additional support around understanding their emotions and finding help to regulate their emotions.

Support for Learning

This is a small group intervention run each session through our Support for Learning department.  This is a program targeted at young people who require additional support around Lifeskills such as self-care, travel, independent living skills and resilience as they move through secondary and prepare for post school transition.

Wellbeing Hub Staff

This is a small group intervention run each session through our Wellbeing Hub.  This program is targeted at young people who require additional support with social communication, anxiety and personal development and organisation.

Wellbeing Hub Staff

This is a small group intervention run through our Wellbeing Hub and is a short-term program (12 weeks) for S3/S4 pupils who are at risk of becoming disengaged, not participating and/or displaying risk-taking behaviours in school and/or the community.

Wellbeing Hub Staff

This is a short-term intervention run through the Wellbeing Hub and is targeted at young people who need additional support around the schools positive behaviours approach, this would normally be identified through increasing referrals, duty head incidents or an alternative to exclusion.  These pupils may be struggling with mainstream classes and at risk of exclusion.

Wellbeing Hub Staff

This is a short-term intervention delivered through the Wellbeing Hub and is aimed at young people who need additional support in managing emotions and resolving issues with peers and/or family.  This is intended to follow on from DBT

Who: Educational Psychologist

Location: Well-being Hub

This is a short-term intervention delivered through the Wellbeing Hub with the support of our Educational Psychologist.  This is group intervention aimed at supporting young people around anxiety management.

Paul Galbraith and Audrey Henderson

This is support for any young person who is identified OR considers themselves to be a Young Carer.  Support can be from our staff in school who are designated Young Carer Coordinators for LHS, or through our partners at Edinburgh Young Carers.

MRC coordinator: Julia MacIntosh

Available Monday - Thursday

Location: Room at the end of management corridor

The MCR program is a program where young people from S2 upwards can be matched with a mentor.  The Mentor is a volunteer from the community and the match is based round the interested of the young person.  This is aimed at giving young people a period each week to spend time with an adult not connected to school who will be a ‘listening ear’ and hopefully work towards goal setting and identifying aims and ambitions for the future.  This is automatically available to any young person who is or has ever been care experienced, but in addition many of our young people at LHS have been matched with an MCR mentor as an additional tool to help them navigate the challenges as they progress through school.

Lynne Taylor and Senga Hastie

Location: well-being corridor

A literacy-based reading intervention run by trained Pupil Support Assistants where young people are supported either in a small group or one-to-one basis and with a nurture-based approach to improve confidence and skills.

Dr Jehan Al-Azzawi

When: Aug - Dec LHS

Jan - Jun primaries (P7)

Talk4Writing with S1 is a short-term intervention for up to 12 mid-level learners who are just off track with their writing level. It is a progressive programme that explores in depth the features of effective writing based on model texts, using strategies that involve de-constructing core vocabulary, creating writing toolkits and highlighting effective structure and paragraphing techniques. 

Sophie Fagan and Karen McGuire

This is an intervention run by SFL teacher and PSO and is for young people in S3 and S4, and S5 leavers, who are at risk of not attaining 5 awards by the end of S4, or not gaining additional value in attainment as a Christmas leaver.

Ian McLaren

This is a dedicated member of SFL or ASL staff who can work with young people who have interrupted learning.  This can be health related or anxiety-based school avoidance.  These sessions can be individual or small group and can take place in the school, community or online.

Dr Jehan Al-Azzawi

Tuesday lunchtime SS3

The anti-racist club is a pupil led group, which is open to all and aims to promote and support the wellbeing of our BAME learners and educating all for racial literacy.  This was initially developed in partnership with Intercultural Youth Scotland and is now a well-established group facilitated by school staff.

Darren Rose

Monday lunchtime

The Diversity Group is a safe space for all. The club is for; members of the LGBTQ+ community, allies (those who support the queer community) and anyone who is interested to learn more or connect with like-minded peers. The group is facilitated by school staff and is open to pupils and staff.

Siobhan Short

By appointment

Liberton High School also has access to community counselling support in partnerships with CEC. Goodtrees and Crossreach.  This is like the school Counsellor but can be accessed both in school, and in Goodtrees if required.

Matt Whale

Gilmerton Community Centre

A small group intervention for boys aged 14-17 who may benefit from support around Mental Health and self-esteem, this is combined with support from Gold and Gray Football partners and targets those who may be at risk of not attaining or becoming disengaged.  This usually runs for approximately one term and requires some of the week to be out of school at a community venue.

Kenny Curtis - CLLD worker

A small group intervention for young people who are within a year of school leaving age and may be requiring support into a positive destination.  This takes place in a community venue and is led by Community Lifelong Development partners and centres around building skill for life, learning and work.

This an intervention that is targeted at small groups who need additional support around health, wellbeing and resilience and would benefit from this being delivered as part of a football initiative as they engage well with sport.  This is delivered as part of a school pathway but led by staff from Gold and Gray Football Academy who link in with PE staff and ensure a progression pathway into certificated courses.

Amellia Black - Edinburgh Leisure

This is on intervention run through Edinburgh Leisure, where young people are offered a mentor who will work with them over several weeks and look at ways to support their Health and Wellbeing through exercise.  This is done in school time, but will often begin with meeting in school to build a relationship and hopefully progress to accessing a local EL venue facilities to support the young person with a regular exercise programme.

PC McFaulds

shared with Gracemount

LHS - Monday and Wednesday

GHS - Tuesday and Thursday

We have a School Liaison Officer who works in partnership with CEC and Police Scotland.  Our SLO works across our Locality and split the week between Liberton and Gracemount High School.  The SLO will work closely with the Pupil Support Leaders to offer education and support for Young People and families, and often offer inputs to the PSE program or at Assemblies.

Ashley Bruce

Each CEC school has an identified NHS School Nurse allocated as part of their Locality Team.  The School Nurse is available for advice and guidance to staff, young people and families.  They can also offer drop-in sessions around health (including sexual health) and wellbeing, or one-to one session if required.  Additionally, we may ask for their support at Young Person Planning Meetings if there is a Health concern, or at School Strategy Meetings if we are recognising specific health concerns across a friendship/year group/community.

Natalie McPherson

Each CEC school has an identified Educational Psychologist who will work in partnership with the school to offer advice and support around young people with additional support needs.  This often begins with consultation but can include school based CLPL around identified need i.e. ADHD/ASD training and awareness, or support for an individual young person/family by attending Young Person Planning Meetings as part of the ‘Team around the Child’ to work out the most appropriate supports and interventions to improve outcomes.

Eva Van Lerven - Service Leader

Each CEC school has an Additional Support for Learning Service Leader who can allocate support through ASL staff for the Locality or identified ASL programs.  ASLS will work in partnership with the school to offer advice and support around young people with additional support needs.  This often begins with consultation but can include school based CLPL around identified need i.e. ADHD/ASD training and awareness, or support for an individual young person/family by attending Young Person Planning Meetings as part of the ‘Team around the Child’ to work out the most appropriate supports and interventions to improve outcomes.  Some of the programs offered by ASLS will be targeted towards young people who Care Experienced or are not accessing mainstream education at all, or very rarely and can include outdoor learning opportunities.

When: Monday and Wednesday

Who: Evonne O’Doherty

Where: Valley Park

This is a small group learning environment run by teachers from the Additional Support for Learning Service in a community venue.  It takes place in each locality for two mornings a week and is targeted at young people who are displaying anxiety or emotionally based school avoidance behaviours.  The work is partly based around building relationships and building social interaction, but also targets attainment through achievement of qualifications.  The ASLS teacher will liaise with school staff to identify appropriate attainment targets.

Paul Maker

Wednesday and Friday

Outreach program which provides two hours a week of outdoor learning funded by School and/or Social Work and aimed at Young People who are at risk and are not able to access mainstream education.  This is accessed through the ASL service

Fiona Calder

Monday, Tuesday and Thursday

Outreach program which provides a day a week of outdoor activities for a small group, funded by School and/or Social Work and aimed at Young People who are at risk and are not able to access mainstream education.  This is accessed through ASL service or the Care Experienced Team.

ASL staff

Thrive is delivered from the Green team and is aimed at young people aged 14-18 who are struggling with mental health issues. The aim is to get young people engaged in outdoor acitvities that promote good mental wellbeing.

ASL staff

This is a place for young people to work outdoors/with animals as part of a volunteering programme (for example, JET) or to support their own skill development, wellbeing and confidence.

Jane Reed

City Chalmers

NHS referred program for young people who have issues with substances.

Steven McCallum

Specific program for young people at risk from Serious and Organised Crime (SOCO).  Can be accessed through School, Social Work or Police but will usually be a joint referral involving all these services.