Evaluating the use and impact of the Glasgow Motivation and Wellbeing Profile (GMWP) as tool to seek and take account of young people’s views to inform planning

Abstract

Recent reports highlight the increasing number of children and young people in Scotland that experience mental health difficulties during their school years (Mental Health Foundation, 2016) and that school-based interventions that target the promotion of wellbeing are typically more effective than interventions delivered in an extracted setting which is unfamiliar to the young person and often focuses on the reduction of mental health difficulties (Weare, 2015). An important prerequisite for any attempt to implement such school-based interventions is a clear system for defining and measuring wellbeing as this will support the identification of an appropriate intervention and support the implementation and evaluation process. In one local authority in Scotland the Glasgow Motivation and Wellbeing Profile (GMWP; Glasgow Psychological Service) has been developed as a tool to explore a young person’s motivation and sense of wellbeing in the learning context. This paper summarises feedback on the use and impact of this tool from educational psychologists, school staff and young people who have had experience of the profile. The findings are considered and a series of recommendations made about further uses for this tool in terms of its utility as a measure and its ability to enhance pupil voice. Limitations of the tool are also noted.