37NCGE NEWS Summer 2012Book ReviewOnline Counselling and Guidance SkillsA Practical Resource for Trainees and Practitioners Jane Evans This book aims to help practitioners explore and evaluate how they can adapt their counselling skills to an online environment.As a career counsellor in practice within the third level educational sector and with on-going engagement with second level students in a guidance capacity I found this book both thought provoking and very useful in many practical ways.The book starts on a practical note with basic questions for anyone considering developing or expanding an online practice. Essentials such as the importance of conducting a realistic self-assessment of our technical skills and our ability to troubleshoot are addressed. It poses important self-searching questions for us as counsellors to ask ourselves; about our suitability to work online with clients, to work alone and interact effectively without the physical presence.This book has a well balanced mix of deeper questions to address such as our understanding and expectations of what comprises a person's 'presence'. The author affirms that 'presence' can be transmitted online and emphasizes what conditions need to exist to experience and express online empathy. Using a combination of practical guidelines, step by step procedures, case examples and 'points for consideration', Evans guides us through the inclusive process of; establishing a relationship, expressing ourselves effectively, maintaining and building on dialogue and communication, transferring listening skills and attunement to clients to the online medium, dealing with the important practical issues of initial assessment; contracts; risk assessment; confidentiality; administrative resources and support. At times, I found the detail in the text a little tedious and almost laborious, however the book contains good 'user friendly' visual aids for the busy reader, in the form of tables, framed synopses, summaries of each chapter and points to consider in the form of thought provoking questions. If I were the publisher of this book, I would almost certainly have produced it in a workbook format, making it far more accessible and easy to work with.This book is a valuable asset and 'bible' for those embarking on establishing an online counselling service. As a profession, we are firmly rooted in the person centred realm and naturally gravitate towards client centred interaction. Many of us will find the certain and impending progression to online practice and support service, at least in part a challenge, this book will equip us to transition.Reviewed by Mary McCarthy, Careers Advisor, University College Cork.208 pages SAGE Publications Ltd

38The meeting of Work Package 4 - Quality Assurance and Evidence Based Practice was hosted in Dublin in March by NCGE. Fourteen Member State countries were represented by 23 participants at the three day meeting held in the Department of Education and Skills, Dublin. This working group has been ably co-ordinated and lead by the Hungarian representative Dr Tibor Bors Borbély-Pecze with Dr Deirdre Hughes, OBE as the external consultant and facilitator for the group. A draft framework for quality assurance and evidence based practice has been developed by the group for inclusion in the proposed ELGPN ToolKit.The EU Commission has confirmed continued funding for the ELGPN for 2013-2014. Ireland will host the ELGPN Plenary meeting during the Irish EU Presidency in February 2013. NCGE NEWS Summer 2012GeneralNews from NCGE Attendees at the ELGPN WP4 Synthesis Meeting held 21-23 March 2012European Lifelong Guidance Policy NetworkReview of Guidance Counselling Provision in Second level schools NCGE distributed a questionnaire to school Principals regarding the current provision of guidance counselling in schools. Principals were asked to return completed questionnaires to NCGE by the 26th March and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who participated in this research. The aim of the review is to provide the NCGE Management of Guidance Committee with information concerning the current provision of guidance in schools. NCGE will follow up on this survey in late September with a similar questionnaire with the view to undertaking a comparative analysis on guidance provision. This will enable NCGE to appropriately plan for supporting guidance counsellors from October onwards. More details will be made available on our website www.ncge.ieCLICK toLINKVisit Euroguidance Ireland on Facebook to access the latest information and resources for studying in Europe. It also contains news, views and upcoming competitions. Congratulations!The winner of the Euroguidance 'Win an iPod' draw is Eimhin GaynorCongratulations to Dr Deirdre Hughes, who was recently awarded an OBE in the UK New Years Honours list in recognition for her services to careers. Deirdre was recently appointed as Commissioner at the UK Commission for Employment & Skills.Latest updateThe next Plenary meeting of the ELGPN will be held in Copenhagen in April as part of the Danish EU presidency. Work packages 1 to 4 have met in the last few months to continue drafting their various agreed documents.IRELAND