Student welfare

Individual student welfare services refer to the services of the school social worker, psychologist and school or student welfare that are available at all schools and educational institutions in Espoo. In pre-primary education, health care is provided by maternity and child health clinics.

Individual student welfare aims to monitor and promote children’s and young people’s comprehensive development, health, well-being and learning. The provision of early support and the prevention of issues in advance are important factors. The starting point for this is trust-building interaction where children and young people are valued and their opinions are heard.

Pupils and students have the statutory right to receive individual student welfare services. Children or young people themselves and their guardians can directly contact student welfare experts. The need for pupil or student support can also be expressed by a teacher or a tutor.

Pupils and students are entitled to talk to a psychologist or school social worker within seven educational institution working days of requesting the service. In urgent cases, the opportunity to talk must be arranged on the same or next school day, even when the school is contacted, for example, by a parent/guardian or another person. The urgency of the matter is assessed by a student welfare professional. Personnel working in schools and educational institutions are obliged to instruct children and young people to seek the student welfare services they require.

A parent/guardian is not entitled to forbid a minor from using student welfare services.

The matters addressed in individual student welfare work are confidential and the work observes the provisions concerning the disclosure and confidentiality of information.

Individual multidisciplinary student welfare includes assembling an individual expert team. The team then investigates the individual pupil's/student's need for support and the provision of student welfare services. The multidisciplinary composition of the team is based on case-specific consideration and on the characteristics of the case. The appointment of the members requires the consent of the pupil/student and/or, if necessary, the guardian.

School health care: School health care | Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County (luvn.fi)(external link, opens in a new window)

Student health care: Student health care services | Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County (luvn.fi)(external link, opens in a new window)

School social worker: Student welfare school social worker services | Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services (luvn.fi)(external link, opens in a new window)

Psychologist: Student welfare school psychologist services | Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services (luvn.fi)(external link, opens in a new window)

Communal student welfare is an important part of the operating culture of the pre-primary education unit and the school and educational institution community. Communal student welfare work promotes children’s and young people’s learning, well-being, health, social responsibility, interaction and inclusion. Communal student welfare aims to carry out primarily preventive work that supports the entire unit/educational institution, to prevent issues, to promote the early identification of issues and to provide the necessary support related to student welfare.

The starting point for communal student welfare is the involvement and consultation of the child/young person and the guardians. Communal student welfare enhances the well-being of students and the entire education environment by establishing in the educational institution an atmosphere of togetherness, open interaction and care where all members of the community are happy and supported in their studies.

Each pre-primary education unit, school and educational institution has a communal student welfare team. The team is responsible for planning, developing, carrying out and evaluating communal student welfare work.

The communal student welfare team is a multidisciplinary team. The team is led by the head teacher of the school or the head of the pre-primary education unit. In addition to the head teacher, the team consists of a psychologist, a school social worker, a nurse, a member or members of the teaching staff, a (wide-ranging) special needs teacher and, as a rule, representatives of the student association and the guardians. The team can also include representatives of youth services and other operators.

The communal student welfare team meets regularly and according to an agreed schedule. The meetings discuss matters on a general and communal level.

In order to implement student welfare, the education provider must prepare a student welfare plan that shall enter into force on 1 August 2023. The general planning, development, steering and assessment of provider-specific student welfare is the responsibility of a multidisciplinary student welfare steering group. The student welfare plan is prepared in cooperation with pre-primary education, schools, educational institutions, student welfare personnel and pupils and students and their guardians.

The steering group for student welfare in Espoo is chaired by Service Specialist Annika Kaarnalehto from the Sector Management of the Growth and Learning Sector, annika.kaarnalehto@espoo.fi

Source: The Finnish National Agency for Education/eRequirements National core curriculum for basic education 2014 – eRequirements (opintopolku.fi)(external link, opens in a new window)

Student Welfare Act: Student Welfare Act 1287/2013 - FINLEX ®(external link, opens in a new window)