B&D - Primay and Secondary Schools Counsellor Service

The Orchards Health Centre, Gasgoine Road, Barking , Essex, IG11 7RS

Tel: 0300 555 1012.   Switchboard: 0300 555 1200     Fax:  0844 493 0293

 

Description of service provided

The Primary and Secondary School Counsellors are based in schools across the borough to support children and young people.

Primary School Counsellors

Direct work: The team can only accept referrals via the identified School Link person in each school (CAF or CAMHS referral). 

They work with both children and their parents/carers and also link closely with relevant staff in the schools to ensure a holistic service is provided to children aged 7-11 years (with the exception of Dorothy Barley Infants, where the children are aged 5-7 years).

The workers provide a two session assessment model and then access to a range of lengths of intervention, modelled around the provision of an average of 12 sessions – i.e. some children/families will require short intervention (6 weeks) and some may require longer (up to one school year) although it is envisaged that most children/families will receive twelve sessions.

Children/young people are referred on by the counsellors into Specialist CAMHS (Child & Family Service, Eating Disorder Service etc), where necessary, following assessment.

Consultation:  These workers also offer consultation to staff as a key part of the service provision – aiming to help build confidence within the staff team to manage the child/families, sometimes difficult, emotions.

Secondary School Counsellors

Direct Work: This team currently provides a professional counselling service for children, young people and, where appropriate, their families within every Secondary School provision across the Borough.  The age range of children/young people referred ranges from 11- 19 years (6th Form provision in some schools).

The service only accepts referrals via the identified School Link person in each school and provides a two session assessment and then a twelve week intervention, as appropriate (CAF or CAMHS referral). 

Children/young people are referred on by the counsellors into Specialist CAMHS (Child & Family Service, Eating Disorder Service etc), where necessary, following assessment.

Drop-in:  In addition to planned direct work with children / young people the schools-based counsellors also offer a Drop-In service for those young people who feel they need to see someone urgently and/or due to a crisis on the day counsellors are in school.  Children / young people can self-refer for the drop-in service or speak to any member of the school staff.

Consultation: Counsellors also offer consultation to school staff about children where they have concerns about their emotional well-being and are unsure what to do.