INSTITUTE OF GUIDANCE COUNSELLORS

NATIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN – 2024/2027

National Strategic Plan 2024-2027

The National Executive Committee of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors (IGC) is delighted to formally launch the IGC’s Strategic Plan 2024-2027. It establishes the priorities of the IGC and outlines the contribution that IGC members make in the educational sector in Ireland.

The mission and values of the IGC are:

- To sustain and progress the guidance counselling profession, supporting the profession’s facilitation and empowerment of young people and adults with their personal, social, educational and career development, so that they can make informed effective choices and decisions about their lives.
- To facilitate a valued and trusted guidance counselling profession, united in its shared commitment to enabling everyone who needs support to realise their personal, social, educational and vocational goals, wherever in that lifelong journey they may be.

This strategy has been prepared against the backdrop of significant change in the education landscape, which has far-reaching implications for the IGC, its members and learners.

- Guidance counselling has been significantly altered since the abolishment of the ex-quota ring-fenced allocation in 2012 and the promotion of the whole school approach to guidance counselling. This has many implications for guidance counselling and our members.
- The changing FET sector also poses challenges for guidance counselling with the promotion of guidance information and recruitment officers, and the vision of the FET College of the Future as set out in the National FET Strategy 2020-2024.
- Members practicing both at second level and in further education report a significant increase in demand for personal counselling as well as an increased demand in the number of careers appointments required. The IGC’s most recent annual Second Level Survey found, for the first time ever, that more members were supporting learners with mental health issues than with career guidance issues on a daily or weekly basis.

It is a central aim of the IGC to advocate for the professional recognition of guidance counselling, as outlined in the recently published Towards the Professional Recognition of Guidance Counselling in Ireland.

The IGC has identified four key strategic priorities that will enable the IGC and it’s members to achieve its vision of facilitating a valued and trusted guidance counselling profession, united in its shared commitment to enabling everyone who needs support to realise their personal, social, educational and vocational goals, wherever in that lifelong journey they may be:

- Strategic priority one: we will encourage and support closer engagement from our members with our work.
- Strategic priority two: we will promote understanding of the role of the guidance counsellor.
- Strategic priority three: we will strengthen our advocacy to ensure that the positive voice of the guidance counselling profession in policy making is heard and respected.
- Strategic priority four: we will enhance the management capacity of the IGC. The National Executive of the IGC aims to firmly embed itself as a key stakeholder in the ever evolving education landscape. The holistic model of guidance counselling where the learner is guided in their personal, social, education & vocational development empowers learners to achieve their goals and participate fully in society must be maintained, adequately resourced and evidenced across lifelong guidance.

We call on the Department of Education and Department of Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science, to engage and collaborate with the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, along with other key educational stakeholders, for the promotion and continued development of a strong post primary, FET and Higher Education sector, where the needs of all learners are central to decision making.

The National Executive, 2024
(Photo taken at the IGC Conference, MTU, Tralee, 8th March, 2024 by Trinity Studios Photography)

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Click on the link below for your downloadable PDF of the following:

- - National Executive Summary Document PDF
  - National Strategic Plan PDF

IGC STRATEGIC PLAN 2024 – 2027

This Strategic Plan aims to articulate and communicate the strategic goals of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors with key stakeholders in the national and international field of guidance counselling. The actions identified are intended to support the IGC in achieving its aims and objectives as set out by the IGC Constitution, Code of Ethics, Towards the Professional Recognition of Guidance Counselling, Core Competencies and Professional Practice, and other key documents.

It will assist the National Executive Committee, subcommittees, branch officers and the membership base of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors with the implementation of strategic planning aims to improve performance over the period 2024 to 2027.

Submitted to: Institute of Guidance Counsellors
Wednesday 30th August 2023.
Reviewed, edited and critiqued by National Executive Committee:
October 2023 to May 2024.
Ratified by National Executive Committee:
May 14th 2024.

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1. Introduction

The National Executive Committee of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors (IGC) commissioned the development of this Strategic Plan 2024 -2027 in April 2023. A need to formally articulate and communicate the vision of the IGC was identified as the organisation enters into this new post Covid period. The services of an external consultant were engaged to lead and guide the process. A key step in the preparation of the strategy was consultation with external and internal stakeholders (see Appendix One). This comprehensive engagement with members, stakeholders and colleagues has allowed for the generation of data that is truly valuable and has allowed for organisational reflection to facilitate growth. The consultation process closely informed the strategy and allowed for the identification of key strategic objectives over the next three years. These objectives highlight key areas of development for the organisation. However, they can only be achieved by building on the solid foundation of our continuing work to support our members and to uphold standards and quality within guidance counselling. It is the view of the National Executive Committee and the officers of the IGC that continuing to support this strong foundation while placing an additional focus on our current strategic objectives is in the best interests of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors and will be crucial to securing its future.

A particular area of emphasis in this strategy is on strengthening the operational capacity of IGC. Our stakeholders have told us how much they value and appreciate the enormous effort put in by volunteers across the organisation. They speak very highly of the branch network, and view the commitment to volunteerism as a key strength of the organisation. However, they also feel that our reliance on volunteers for so much of our work – our national roles of Vice President, National Secretary, National Treasurer and National Public Relations Officer are all voluntary – puts us at a disadvantage. In particular, it poses challenges for continuity and barriers to the development of institutional knowledge. This sentiment is in agreement with the experience of the officers of the IGC. Our focus over the period of this strategy will be on maintaining the many benefits to the IGC organisation of having volunteers who willingly give up their personal time to support it, while also setting the operational side of the organisation on a more sustainable and secure footing. Successfully achieving the ambitious objectives of the strategy which follow will depend on the IGC putting these additional resources in place.

2. Current context

This strategy has been prepared against the backdrop of significant change in the education landscape, which has far-reaching implications for the IGC and its members. The recently published National Strategic Framework for Lifelong Guidance1 and the development of a single portal for guidance, are two current key government initiatives that will have significant implications for lifelong guidance and the guidance counselling profession. Another key change has been the introduction of new entry routes and alternatives to CAO. The National Tertiary Office. Guidance counselling has been significantly altered since the abolishment of the ex-quota ring-fenced allocation in 2012 and the promotion of the whole school approach to guidance counselling. This has many implications for guidance counselling and our members. With no ring fenced allocation for one to one appointments set out in department guidelines, there is significant inequality of access to guidance counselling in second level schools and colleges of further education (2). The changing FET sector also poses challenges for guidance counselling with the promotion of guidance information and recruitment officers, and the vision of FET College of the Future as set out in the National FET Strategy 2020-2024 (3). The IGC is committed to collaborating with stakeholders to advocate for the professional role of guidance counsellors for the benefit of learners.

Post Covid the professional practice of members has changed. Members practicing both at second level and in further education report a significant increase in demand for personal counselling as well as an increased demand in the number of careers appointments required. The IGC’s most recent National Survey (4) found, for the first time ever, that more members were supporting learners with mental health issues than with career guidance issues on a daily or weekly basis.

It is a central aim of the IGC to advocate for the professional recognition of guidance counselling, as outlined in the recently published Towards the Professional Recognition of Guidance Counselling in Ireland. Some of the achievements of recent years have been:

Development of and publication of Towards the Professional Recognition of Guidance Counselling in Ireland. (5)
Collaboration with Jigsaw The National Centre for Youth Mental Health, in the development of a bespoke CPD opportunity for Guidance Counsellors.
Achieving Charitable Status which means that our tax liabilities are considerably lessened.
The restoration of nearly all Guidance Counselling hours to the level pre 2012.
The achievement of a full-time secondment for the immediate past President and present President.
During the pandemic, the development of the online National CPD Experience and then the return to an in person conference for Conference 2023 in ATU Sligo.
Review and ratification of Procurement Policy, Updated IGC Expenses Policy and Branch CPD Spending Policy.
An initial submission addressing “Mental Health Supports in Schools and Tertiary Education 2022” (6) was followed by a response upon the publication of the Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Report on Mental Health Supports in Schools and Tertiary Education 2023.(7)
Appointment of a part time Researcher/Content writer.
Input into and submission on multiple policies and initiatives including the National Framework for Guidance Submission 2023, Review of the Education for Persons With Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004 Submission 2023(8), The impact of the National Framework of Qualifications on guidance and information to learners. (9)
We worked closely with Senator Roisín Garvey to have a private member’s motion successfully passed in Seanad Éireann about Youth Mental Health and Guidance Services in Secondary Schools.
We also made a submission to the public consultation on the draft Transition Year Programme Statement (TYPS) which is being developed to support the realisation of the purpose and vision for a redeveloped Senior Cycle by the NCCA.
Preparation and communication on pre-budget Submissions on an annual basis.

To ensure that the IGC has a strong voice in the changes taking place at policy level, and that it continues to meet the needs of its members and stakeholders, it has been vital for IGC to take time to reflect on its work, and to collectively agree the most appropriate way forward. The process to develop this new strategy has provided the opportunity to have these important discussions.

Feedback from the consultation guided the process at every stage. In general, there was a considerable amount of agreement as to what should be our key priorities. For example, our stakeholders have told us that the IGC enjoys a strong position in the national field of guidance counselling, and that the organisation’s reputation is a core asset. The IGC’s members boast a huge range of expertise, across both researchers and practitioners. The branch structure allows for genuine participation and representation of members as well as ensuring CPD opportunities that are relevant, authentic and valuable. The National Executive Committee further supports local engagement at a national level, and our consultation process has told us that the work of the National Executive subcommittees is valued by members.

However, we also heard through the consultation that the IGC has an over reliance on volunteers that is unsustainable and potentially hazardous to the organisation. A lack of continuity across terms of office and the resulting loss of institutional knowledge during periods of changeover, and disengagement from the organisation by some members, all pose significant threats to the survival of the IGC. Developing and implementing this strategic plan will ensure the continued growth and expansion of the IGC for the interests of its members, the profession and lifelong guidance.

3. Core purpose of the IGC

The IGC is a national organisation with approximately 1,500 members working in a wide range of contexts, including second level schools, further education and training, higher education, public employment services, prison and probation services, youth services and in private practice. Our core purpose is to support the guidance counselling profession and those who work within it. Supporting the profession leads, in turn, to better outcomes for learners and users, at all stages of lifelong learning and of all ages who look to guidance counsellors for assistance.

The IGC supports the guidance counselling profession by:

Promoting the highest professional standards in guidance counselling practice, for example by promoting a professional competency framework, and articulating CPD
and ethical standard requirements.
Contributing its expertise and that of its members to education and education policy development in Ireland, through its own research and networks, and through engagement with key stakeholders such as government departments, and other statutory and non-statutory bodies.
Supporting those working within the profession via a nationwide network of 16 local branches, whose representatives make up the organisation’s National Executive
Committee.
Advocating for the professional recognition of the role of guidance counsellors through advancing the short-, medium-, and long-term goals outlined in its publication “Towards the Professional Recognition of Guidance Counselling in Ireland”.

4. Vision

A valued and trusted guidance counselling profession, united in its shared commitment to enabling everyone who needs support to realise their personal, social, educational and
vocational goals, wherever in that lifelong journey they may be.

5. Mission

To sustain and progress the guidance counselling profession, supporting the profession’s facilitation and empowerment of young people and adults with their personal, social,
educational and career development, so that they can make informed effective choices and decisions about their lives.

6. Values and Principles

6.1 Integrity: guidance counsellors are committed to promoting integrity in their practice, to representing themselves accurately and to treating others with honesty, straightforwardness and fairness. As an organisation, IGC seeks to reflect the value of integrity in its own work, thereby protecting its reputation as a valued partner in the education and employment sectors.
6.2 Holistic model of guidance counselling: we strongly advocate for the unique value of the holistic model of guidance counselling which we believe to be an approach to guidance which looks at a person as a ‘whole’ integrated individual, a person that is multi-faceted. Rather than looking at a person’s choices or issues as separate, the function of holistic guidance is to help individuals develop a deeper understanding of themselves on all levels as they manage their personal, educational, and career journey. The value we place in this approach is reflected in the individual practice of our members, and in our continuing work to promote understanding of the model and its benefits amongst key stakeholders.

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6. Values and Principles (Con’t)

6.3 Respect for the rights and dignity of the individual: the work of the guidance counsellor involves a special relationship of trust. In all their lifelong guidance interactions and engagements, guidance counsellors honour and promote the fundamental rights, moral and cultural values, dignity and worth of the individuals we support. We therefore seek to reflect this important value in the wider work of the IGC organisation.

6.4 Competence and responsibility: guidance counsellors maintain and update their professional skills and are aware of their professional responsibility to act in a trustworthy, reputable and accountable manner. The IGC supports guidance counsellors to embrace these values through activities such as CPD and supervision

7. Strategic priorities 2024 – 2027

7.1 Strategic priority one:
We will encourage and support closer engagement from our members with our work. The IGC membership currently reflects the national picture for professional guidance counsellor posts, the majority of which are in the post-primary sector. IGC membership has grown by 17% over the past six years, with membership now nearing levels last seen in 2013/2014. Through the consultation process, we have learned that some members – particularly those outside of the post-primary sector – feel distant from our work, sometimes find us challenging to reach, or may not know how to get involved. We will work hard to encourage the wider membership in all sectors to engage with IGC activity at local and/or national level.

Under this priority, our goals will be to:

7.1.1 Increase support for branches and their officers to ensure that they can continue their existing activities, while also facilitating them to reach out proactively to members who don’t currently engage at branch level.
7.1.2 Improve two-way communication between the IGC and its membership, so that the organisation not only communicates messages to its members, but also listens carefully to what they have to say.
7.1.3 Facilitate easier communication amongst our members, making it easier for them to share expertise and information across their own networks, and facilitating the mutual support which our members tell us they find so helpful.
7.1.4 Strengthen connections with students as they commence their guidance counselling study, to link them early on with the IGC and to nurture this relationship in a structured way as they progress.

7.2 Strategic priority two:
We will promote understanding of the role of the guidance counsellor amongst decision-makers, education leaders, stakeholders and the wider public and campaign to have the profession of guidance counsellor recognised as a distinct profession within all sectors. Our members have voiced concern that the broad role of the guidance counsellor in Irish education and training is not always well understood, and may even be under threat. The IGC places a strong emphasis on the holistic model of guidance counselling as the most effective way of supporting people to realise their learning and career goals. However, our stakeholders tell us that our message about our role needs to be clearer. We are proud of the distinctive role of the guidance counsellor in our education system, and our stakeholders tell us that it is highly respected internationally. We believe that this is something to celebrate. We will develop a clearly articulated description of the role of guidance counsellor, and will communicate this widely. The proactive promotion of a positive message about guidance counselling should provide a solid foundation on which our more specific advocacy asks (see strategic priority three) can build.

Under this priority, our objectives will be to:

7.2.1 Develop a simple, clear articulation of the role of the guidance counsellor, that is equally relevant to professional guidance counsellors working in all sectors, for use across all IGC publications, website, in interviews etc.
7.2.2 Devise, launch and promote a national communications campaign across mainstream and social media to explain the role of the guidance counsellor and how learners and users can access the services of guidance counsellors. Provide opportunities for local branches to get involved in this campaign.
7.2.3 Deepen our existing relationships with our external stakeholders, including in particular the representative bodies of those who use our services and their advocates (e.g. parents, users, students and other learners).
7.2.4 Widen our understanding of the stakeholders for guidance counselling in Ireland, and develop new relationships accordingly. Explore opportunities for collaboration where appropriate. Proactively seek out opportunities to communicate our message about the role of the guidance counsellor in our stakeholders’ own fora (e.g. conferences, meetings etc).
7.2.5 We will campaign to build support for guidance counselling professionals to have guidance counselling as the sole focus of their work. We will insist that restoring guidance provision in schools must mean restoring hours specifically for the guidance counsellor to manage, develop and provide the required services to meet the personal, educational and vocational needs of students, in consultation with school management. It is not sufficient to allocate “whole school” guidance counselling hours for principals to use as they wish. Our members report this as a serious limitation on their ability to serve all the students in our care with the highest possible professional service. It also contributes to the significant inequality of service provision to students around the country. We will initiate research to gather data on the impact of classroom teaching commitments on the provision of a responsive, holistic and developmental guidance counselling service for all students in all schools.

7.3 Strategic priority three:

We will strengthen our advocacy to ensure that the positive voice of the guidance counselling profession in policy making is heard and respected. Guidance counsellors are highly trained professionals with an important contribution to make to supporting lifelong learning, wellbeing and social inclusion. In particular, in a post-Covid environment, young people and learners are facing a number of specific challenges, and guidance counsellors are in a unique position to offer support.

The role of career interventions is a key strength of guidance. The potential of guidance counselling to result in benefits to learners and users as a result of appropriate interventions in areas such as: college and career readiness, reduced number of those not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET’s) and college dropout rates, increased graduation rates, upskilling and re-skilling in a changing workforce, increased employment rates, acceleration of entrepreneurship and innovation, all of which help to drive economic development and competitiveness, are tangible measurable outcomes of the profession.

At a national level, building on the collective experience of its members, the IGC continues to be an important partner to policy makers as they address these issues. We seek to make a positive contribution to relevant debates. However, our members tell us that we have more work to do in this area. There is some concern amongst our members at a perceived lack of consultation with IGC on some recent policy developments of direct relevance to guidance counsellors. Over the course of this strategy, we will widen and deepen our relationships with policy makers, to ensure that guidance counsellors are facilitated by policy to make their fullest contribution to supporting young people and adults in their education and careers.

Under this priority, our objectives will be to:

7.3.1 Develop an advocacy plan for the IGC that sets out our agreed advocacy priorities and a roadmap, with agreed responsibilities, for how we will campaign for these.
7.3.2 Invest in research that delivers policy-relevant insight for both IGC and its stakeholders.
7.3.3 Build on the foundation of positive stakeholder relationships outlined in strategic priority two by undertaking targeted engagement with specific stakeholders relevant
to our agreed advocacy asks. This will include communication with Ministers and senior civil servants, as well as politicians at all levels and across all parties.

7.4 Strategic priority four:

We will enhance the management capacity of the IGC. Research for this strategy showed that the IGC has a relatively small staff in comparison with membership organisations of similar size (see Appendix Two). While our members praised the work of our small administrative team, the organisation currently has only one full time leadership post. A great deal of management responsibility and oversight is carried out on a voluntary basis. Stakeholders and members alike identified this limited management capacity as a key challenge for IGC. We will underpin the many commitments made in this strategy with a further pledge to enhance the management capacity of the IGC and the capacity of its volunteers.

Under this priority, our objectives will be to:

7.4.1 Introduce a new, full time, sub-contracted temporary senior post within the IGC head office with a clear reporting structure to the President and National Executive Committee, and with an agreed short and medium term work agenda. Priority given to delivering the strategic objectives of the IGC, improving communication and public relations between the IGC and its members, in addition to identifying alternative income streams to fund the role, within the parameters of the IGC’s constitution and charitable status. The viability of this role to be reviewed annually.
7.4.2 Negotiate the secondment of the role of Vice-President.
7.4.3 Continue to invest in the financial systems in place in IGC, both at head office and branch level, to ensure that the financial management of the organisation is in line with best practice and protects our financial and reputational interests. Commitment to implementing the agreed recommendations arising from the internal audit within the term of the strategic plan.

8. Strategic enablers

Aside from the appointment of a new full time senior post and investment in financial systems outlined under strategic priority four, a number of other key strategic enablers will be vital to successful delivery on the objectives of this strategy, as follows:

Existing head office staff whose professionalism and efficiency came in for much positive comment throughout the consultation. Improved support and engagement between staff and the NEC.
Additional financial resources to augment the limited funds that the IGC currently receives from membership fees and funding through the Teacher Education Section of the Department of Education (TES).
Nationwide network of local branches whose important role in supporting members was highlighted on many occasions throughout the consultation process.
Effective communications between all internal stakeholders, which in IGC includes the National Executive Committee, the national and local branch officers, the staff in head office, and the membership.
New Customer Relationship Management system to support staff with the workload of the IGC head office.
Ensuring strong systems and procedures are in place to facilitate compliance with the Charities Corporate Governance.

9. Timeline

The implementation of this strategy will depend on the necessary resources being put in place. The National Executive has developed an internal document that plans for the implementation and monitoring of the strategic plan.

10. Implementation and monitoring progress

The national officers of the IGC will be responsible for monitoring and implementing this strategy. Together with the National Executive, they devised a series of timed actions to implement the strategic objectives and goals outlined. However, strategy is an ongoing process, of which a written plan is only one part. Progress on the IGC strategy will therefore be tracked on an ongoing basis by a working group of the national officers of the IGC. Updates will be communicated to the National Executive Committee, with remedial actions or revisions being identified where necessary to ensure that the broad thrust of the strategy remains on track. Any material changes to the overall strategic direction of IGC, before the period of the current strategy concludes, must be agreed by the National Executive Committee.

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Appendix & Bibliography

Appendix One: consultation process: An independent consultation process to inform the strategy was conducted over the period of April to June, 2023, as follows:

Focus group of randomly selected current IGC branch officers (selected from any branch officer who expressed an interest in participation)
Focus group of a random selection of current IGC members (selected from all members who expressed an interest in participation)
Focus group of IGC staff
One to one interviews with 7 external stakeholders (including representatives of government departments, education stakeholders, private bodies etc)
One to one interviews with 8 internal stakeholders (including past and current office holders)
A meeting of the IGC National Executive Committee
Two online surveys to the IGC National Executive Committee

(1) Government of Ireland (2023) National Strategic Framework for Lifelong Guidance (2024-2030) December 2023, available:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/470e6-national-strategic-framework-for-lifelong-guidance-and-strategic-action-plan-2023-2030/.

(2) https://igc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IGC-National-Survey-2022-2023-final.pdf

(3) https://www.solas.ie/f/70398/x/64d0718c9e/solas_fet_strategy_web.pdf

(4) https://igc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IGC-National-Survey-2022-2023-final.pdf

(5) https://igc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PPWG-Document-Final.pdf

(6) https://igc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Submission-on-Mental-Health-from-IGC-reviewed-5.pdf

(7)https://igc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/IGC-Response-MH-Supports-in-Schools-and-Tertiary-Education-final.pdf

(8) https://igc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-IGC-EPSEN-Submission-final.pdf

(9) https://igc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/NFQ-Final.pdf

Appendix two: Income of IGC versus similar organisations: