Is that on the SCQF…? Diploma in Counselling Children & Young People

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9 July 2025
3 minutes
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The Diploma in Counselling Children & Young People is an SQA Customised Award developed by S.M.I.L.E and credit rated by SQA at SCQF level 11.


Closing the Gap:
Training the Next Generation of Children & Young People Counsellors

A young boy sits at a table with a young female therapist in a community centre. The boy is engaged in a supportive counselling session, actively participating in the discussion. The therapist is warm and approachable, creating a nurturing environment. The room is brightly lit and welcoming, with comfortable seating, reflecting a safe space for sharing and healing.

At S.M.I.L.E. Counselling and Training, we’re proud to be celebrating 10 years of supporting children and young people’s mental health in West Lothian. Over the past decade, we’ve seen first-hand how vital timely support is for young people struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, and life’s many challenges.

But we’ve also seen something deeply concerning: a critical shortage of counsellors trained to work specifically with children and young people (CYP). Across Scotland and the UK, demand for mental health services is at an all-time high. Referrals to CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) have risen by over 30% in recent years, and yet nearly one in four young people are turned away due to staff shortages and service capacity.

The statistics are sobering. One in five children now experiences a diagnosable mental health condition. And job market data shows postings for CYP counsellors have increased by over 40% since 2021, with roles available in schools, NHS services, charities, and private practice.

That’s why S.M.I.L.E. developed the Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People. If you’re a qualified counsellor or psychotherapist ready to take your practice to the next level, this course gives you everything you need to work effectively, ethically, and confidently with children and young people.


The course offers:


• 16 credit points at SCQF Level 11, credit rated by SQA for quality assurance.
• Training focused on establishing meaningful therapeutic relationships across all stages of counselling.
• Strong emphasis on safeguarding, risk assessment, and ethical practice key competencies for anyone working in this vital field.

By joining the S.M.I.L.E. CYP Diploma, you’re not just gaining a qualification – you’re helping close a critical gap in mental health provision. You’re stepping into a rewarding career where you can make a real difference to the lives of children and young people across Scotland and beyond.


Are you ready to be part of the solution?

Find out more about our September 2025 intake and how you can help shape the future of CYP mental health.

The 80 hours will be delivered over 4 weekends (Friday 5pm – 9pm, Saturday & Sunday 9am – 6pm).

  • 1st weekend – 5th, 6th and 7th Sept
  • 2nd weekend – 3rd, 4th and 5th Oct
  • 3rd weekend – 7th, 8th and 9th Nov
  • 4th weekend – 28th, 29th and 30th Nov

💛 Every child deserves support. Every counsellor deserves to feel confident giving it.

Contact us or find out more

Laptop on table, open at SMILE Counselling and Training website homepage

Glossary Term

Authority

Appears at Level 12 only where it is used in the phrase ‘demonstrate substantial authority’, reflecting a recognised high level and depth of expertise/expert knowledge and understanding, along with confidence. It does not mean ‘exercise authority over staff and resources’ etc, as that could clearly apply at earlier levels.

Glossary Term

Exercise

Used in connection with management and/or supervisory responsibility, denotes a requirement of a formal, substantive role.

Glossary Term

Directive

Applied to ‘supervision’, signifies a task or activity that is guided.

Glossary Term

Graphical Data

Encompasses maps, plans, diagrams, tables and graphs.

Glossary Term

Synthesis

Combine discrete elements into a coherent whole.

Glossary Term

Analysis

Examine in detail with a view to explanation and interpretation.

Glossary Term

Present

Set out, put forward, deliver information using a variety of mediums as appropriate.

Glossary Term

Hypothetical

Supposed, assumed for the sake of argument.

Glossary Term

Straightforward

Clear and uncomplicated activity, but not as demanding or systematic and therefore not as advanced as ‘routine’.

Glossary Term

Creativity

Often used in combination with ‘originality’. There is overlap in definition, but the defining characteristic of creativity appears to be imagination.

Glossary Term

Originality

Often used in combination with ‘creativity’. There is overlap in definition, but the defining characteristic of originality appears to be independence.

Glossary Term

Professional

Used throughout as an adjective and applied to terms including level, skills, techniques, practices, contexts, and issues where it bears broad interpretation as ‘behaving appropriately/doing things properly and well and to notions of accepted, (including externally) prescribed standards’, as well as narrow, relating to a specific occupation designated as a profession. In this latter sense, the term applies in all contexts including academic study, eg footnoting properly.

Glossary Term

Unfamiliar

New territory for an activity.

Glossary Term

Routine

Used as an adjective throughout and applied to terms including skills, tasks, elements, practices, contexts, methods and problems where it describes activity that is standard, usual, unvarying, customary, common.

Glossary Term

Everyday

Slightly more advanced and beyond personal but a known experience/activity encountered/applied regularly - less advanced than ‘familiar’.

Glossary Term

Familiar

Often encountered or experienced; common; something one has a good knowledge of - more advanced than ‘personal’ and ‘everyday’, not as advanced as ‘routine’.

Glossary Term

Personal

An experience relating only or primarily to the person – one would expect to start here then widen out into the rest of the world, so not as advanced as ‘familiar’.

Glossary Term

Critical

Fully informed, capable of supporting in-depth analysis and assessment.

Glossary Term

Discerning

Using judgement to recognise differences but not fully equipped/informed to analyse and discuss them in depth, so less advanced than critical.

Glossary Term

Awareness

Consciousness, including a background consciousness. Can be a starting point for further exploration.

Glossary Term

Appreciation

A sense, perception, a hold, fix or grasp of one or more of the various aspects of a subject/discipline/sector.

Glossary Term

Understanding

A thorough and firm grasp of a subject/discipline/sector or an element or elements of it, derived from education/study, experience and reasoning in appropriate combination. Can be defined as ‘know why’, as opposed to ‘know that’. More holistic knowledge of processes and contexts, so more advanced than appreciation and knowledge.

Glossary Term

Simple

Undemanding activity not necessarily part of a formal structure - not as advanced as ‘basic’.

Glossary Term

Knowledge

Facts, ideas, theories and concepts in a subject/discipline/sector acquired through experience and/or education – a surer grasp than appreciation so more advanced.

Glossary Term

Basic

Activity is early stepping stone on a structure or framework that can be built upon – more advanced than ‘simple’.