Address: Fra Gaetano Pace Forno Street, Ħamrun
Email: nationalschoolsupportservices.meyr@gov.mt
Telephone: +356 2598 3497
Website: www.education.gov.mt
The National School Support Services (NSSS) aim to ensure the effective and efficient operation and delivery of services to Colleges and State Schools within an established framework of decentralisation and autonomy. Amongst other services, the Education Psycho-Social Services within the NSSS seek to provide quality service by qualified personnel to clients within the educational system according to the specific needs of learners. These services are intended to assist students to become active and responsible members of society. Education psycho-social practitioners include:
- Psychologists: conduct psychological assessments, therapy and interventions with learners and their parents/carers.
- Counsellors: their service ranges from crisis intervention to person or group counselling including parents/carers.
- Social workers: assess and intervene with learners who are facing personal, social, and family difficulties resulting in school absenteeism.
- Psychotherapists: offer psychotherapeutic interventions with learners and parents/carers.
- Career advisors: help learners approach the world of work and further education with more information and experience whilst assisting them to acquire employability skills.
- Guidance teachers (GT): assist students with personal, educational, and social problems through the application of helping skills. They can also assist students in their career paths.
Services include:
- Servizz Għożża: this service provides counselling and support as well as educational programmes for teenage pregnant learners and teenage mothers. Outreach programmes in schools are also conducted.
- Safe School Programme:
- Child Safety Service (CSS): a specialized service working in child abuse. It is an educational, coordinating, and therapeutic unit, offering interventive and preventive services to students, parents, and school staff.
- Anti-Substance Abuse Service (ASA): this service conducts drug prevention work, consisting of prevention and information programmes as well as intervention through individual cases.
- Anti-Bullying Service (ABS): the service conducts awareness and prevention programmes as well as therapeutic intervention on an individual and class level.
National School Support Services: Flowchart 1
Scenario 1 – Student discloses with the Education Psycho-Social Practitioner issues of DV in the family
National School Support Services: Flowchart 2
Scenario 2 – Student discloses with Academic Staff issues of DV in the family
National School Support Services: Flowchart 3
Scenario 3 – Parent of student discloses with the Education Psychosocial Practitioner that they are experiencing DV.
National School Support Services: Flowchart 4
Scenario 4 – Parent of student discloses with Academic Staff that they are experiencing DV.
