Anxiety and behaviour issues causing Dumfries and Galloway school absences
Counsellors report increased demand for mental health support among young people
A surge in anxiety and dysregulated behaviour is leading to more kids missing school lessons in Dumfries and Galloway, a new report has revealed.
Mental health issues among children and young people have been highlighted as pressing concerns facing children’s services in the region.
A new report, which is due to be tabled at Dumfries and Galloway’s full council meeting next week, also explains that school-based counsellors and youth workers are reporting a significant shift in demand.
The joint annual report on the Dumfries and Galloway Children’s Services Plan 2023-2026 states there has been “a noticeable rise in referrals around coping strategies, anxiety, and emotional support, which are now the top three themes young people are bringing to the service.”
It adds: “With more young people missing school due to anxiety and related challenges, the service has responded by extending support sessions where needed.”
The report warns that “post-Covid, there has been an increase in the number of children entering primary school with dysregulated behaviours,” and that council leaders and partner agencies need to look at “whether this is now a ‘new normal’ that we need to plan for and allocate resources to.”
During the 2024-25 school year, 3,276 one-to-one counselling sessions took place in secondary schools alone. A further 408 sessions were delivered across 41 primary schools, reaching 1,539 young people.
The report describes the service as offering “a safe and supportive environment where young people can explore their feelings, build resilience, and develop practical strategies to manage life’s ups and downs.”
Meanwhile, the report also shines a light on the scale of kinship care in the region — where children are looked after by wider family members rather than their parents.
The council’s Kinship Team is currently supporting around 300 families caring for approximately 192 children, providing “dedicated, consistent support to kinship carers” including regular check-ins, help accessing services, and practical and emotional assistance.
The report notes the team plays “a key role in supporting children to remain within their wider family networks” and directly contributes to the council’s commitment to Keeping the Promise — the national pledge to transform the care system for Scotland’s children.
On a broader level, the delivery of children’s services in this region received a largely positive external assessment.
A Care Inspectorate joint inspection carried out between September 2025 and January 2026 gave ratings of “good” across three key areas, and “very good” for involving children, young people and families in decision-making.
Inspectors found that “dedicated staff made a positive difference to the lives of children and young people” and that “the meaningful involvement of children and young people was a key strength of the partnership.”
However, the inspection also identified concerns around recruitment and retention across all agencies, with social work vacancies having “an adverse effect on continuity of staff, their relationships with families and joint working.”
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