Economic evaluation of Place2Be’s Counselling Service in Primary Schools
Place2Be is a children’s mental health charity that provides in-school support and training to improve the emotional wellbeing of pupils, families, and staff in primary and secondary schools, with services reaching 116,000 pupils across 282 primary and secondary schools in the UK.
With data and experience to support the benefits of early intervention on long term mental health programmes, the charity approached Pro Bono Economics to assess the value for money of its one-to-one counselling service in primary schools.
Results The analysis of the 2016/17 counselling scheme shows that every £1 invested in the service results in a £6.20 benefit in terms of improved long-term outcomes. The service cost was £4.2 million, with an estimated benefit of £25.9 million for all children who received counselling, over £5700 per child.
The benefits come from improved outcomes in the form of reduced rates of truancy, smoking, exclusion, depression and crime, and higher rates of employment and wages.
Impact Pro Bono Economics' report shows great potential for counselling services in primary schools to generate significant economic benefits resulting from improved outcomes for children in adolescence and adulthood. The analysis is intended to provide insight into the economic case for in-school provision of this type of service, helping Place2Be strengthen their already robust case.
