The Department for Education has insisted it is up to schools to provide the appropriate support for transgender pupils experiencing mental health issues, despite a coroner鈥檚 call for 鈥渃larity鈥 over counselling provision after a 13-year-old died. Outwood Academy Shafton pupil Alex Dews fell from a bridge in Barnsley in July 2022. Coroner Abigail Combes concluded it was 鈥渘ot clear鈥 if he intended to end his life. Alex had received six weeks鈥 counselling after telling school staff he wanted to kill himself in March of that year. He had previously been placed on a waiting list for the school鈥檚 counselling service, iSpace. But Alex鈥檚 grandmother Susan Dews, 64, of Wakefield, believes he needed more 鈥渟pecialist鈥 support and claims he 鈥渇ell through the cracks鈥. Combes raised concerns to the DfE, the academy and the Department for Health and Social Care in a in October. She told the DfE that 鈥渢here is a lack of clarity around what should be in place in school in terms of counselling for those who may be transgender or questioning their identity or whether this is solely a role for children and adolescent mental health services鈥. Combes said: 鈥淭he provision of support services in school is not clear and consistent.鈥 Additionally, Alex鈥檚 school 鈥渉ad to put in place their own provision as the local procurement was delayed鈥. Alex was born female but in 鈥渉is teenage years he identified as male鈥. His mother notified the school of a change of name at his request, Combes noted. DfE ‘not prescriptive’ in what support schools use On the coroner鈥檚 call for 鈥渃larity鈥 from the DfE, Susan Dews told Schools Week: 鈥淚t does need to be clearer who and what is provided, and who provides the funding, and that it shouldn鈥檛 have to necessarily come out of the school budget. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good that the school did put that in place because otherwise there would have been nothing for Alex, but it wasn鈥檛 enough, more was needed. 鈥淚 think there needs to be probably some speciality there鈥 I don鈥檛 think they even looked at the transgender side of it because Alex didn鈥檛 feel comfortable enough with the counsellor because he wasn鈥檛 there long enough.鈥 In its response to the coroner, published last week, the DfE said it is 鈥渘ot prescriptive in what support services schools can use 鈥 that authority is delegated to school leaders to ensure that the support is tailored for children by those who know them best鈥. 鈥淪chools have delegated budgets to make those decisions and should escalate cases to children鈥檚 social care or to child and adolescent mental health services when there is cause for concern over and above the support that a school puts in place.鈥 The department 鈥渟eeks to give school leaders as much flexibility as possible in deciding appropriate support managed within the school鈥 governed by a statutory safeguarding framework that operates inside a much broader safeguarding system,鈥 the letter said. Long-awaited draft transgender guidance, published last month, is now out for consultation. It sets out how schools should respond to gender-questioning pupils, but does not mention counselling provision. However, Schools Week revealed last month how the DfE鈥檚 own lawyers had warned several elements of the guidance would leave schools at high risk of facing a legal challenge and losing. ‘Schools are trying to piece together best practice’ Outwood Grange Academies Trust, which runs Alex鈥檚 school, highlighted the-then lack of DfE trans guidance for schools in its response to the coroner. 鈥淚t is felt that this guidance is long overdue and that schools are trying hard to piece together best practice in the absence of any official stance or response,鈥 it said. Dews said delays to the to the guidance being published made her 鈥渞eally angry鈥. 鈥淚 lost a grandson because they dithered,鈥 she added. 鈥淚’m not saying it would have solved the problem, but it might have helped.鈥 She said Alex was 鈥渟o bright鈥 and 鈥渟pecial鈥 with 鈥渁 lot of potential鈥. Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders鈥 union NAHT, called for the government to 鈥渁ccelerate the roll-out鈥 of mental health support in all schools after the 鈥渄esperately sad tragedy鈥. When asked about mental health support for transgender pupils this week, Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, said: 鈥淲e need to focus on children’s wellbeing as being our starting point.鈥 She also criticised the 鈥渃ulture wars鈥 narrative surrounding the issue 鈥渨hen this is about children’s life chances鈥. An Outwood Grange Academies Trust spokesperson said: 鈥淥ur thoughts remain with Alex’s family, as well as other young people and families in need of support.” A DfE spokesperson said the 鈥渟afety and wellbeing of all children will always be our primary concern鈥. Mental health lead training will be offered to all schools by 2025 and new support teams will cover at least half of pupils by the end of March next year. 聽are available 365 days a year. You can reach them on free call number 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org or visit聽聽to find your nearest branch.