There are many different ways in which schools might provide a counselling service, which include employing someone directly themselves, or commissioning an external organisation to provide it for them. This is what makes Dialogue’s offer special:

• Dialogue counselling services ae accredited by the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy since February 2012 with further accreditation achieved in November 2018 for online services. We are the only accredited service in the region working with Primary School aged children and upwards.
• We offer all our counsellors a comprehensive package of professional development, including regular clinical supervision and 3 CPD days a year.
• We operate our own comprehensive and specialist safeguarding system, which includes specialist advice and support from a dedicated safeguarding team.
• All our schools have access to a dedicated project manager, who manages all aspects of our relationship with them, including service delivery and contract management.
• We offer integration into one of the oldest and most respected youth charities in the world. YMCA Downslink Group’s operations include youth advice, housing, mediation, LGBTQ+ Youth and chaplaincy services, as well as WiSE, a specialist child sexual exploitation team.
• Our services meet the Quality Standards of the ACE-V Team, CAMHS Evidence Based Practice Unit, part of University College London (UCL) and The Anna Freud Centre. We also comply with the Department for Education guidelines 'Counselling in Schools: a Blueprint for the Future' (2015).

We know that schools are deeply committed to meeting the individual needs of students as they prepare them to meet the challenges of growing up and moving toward adulthood. Research* has shown that counselling can have a positive impact on the way that young people experience their school and home lives.

Children and young people tend to find it difficult to engage at school if they have had stressful or distressing experiences or are experiencing emotional difficulties. They may struggle with their studies, or show their distress through difficulties they have relating to teachers or other pupils. Counselling can provide effective early intervention and prevention to enable students to manage their feelings and stress levels. It is also effective in helping students address issues such as anxiety, academic work stress, and friendship issues. In addition those experiencing bereavement, parental separation, loss of self-confidence, self-harm, eating disorders and substance misuse can benefit.

Our own outcome evidence has been collected over 15 years of offering counselling in educational settings. It demonstrates the very positive impact on a student’s capacity to achieve. We consistently find that students benefit in measurable ways from engaging with Dialogue services. We also found there was a 70% drop in exclusions. Furthermore, the number of students placed on internal disciplinary measures dropped by 67% whilst attending YMCA Dialogue sessions.

*Rupani, Houghey, Cooper (2012). “The impact of school based counselling on young people’s capacity to study and learn”. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling

With 15 years of experience in educational settings, our data shows:

• 86% reported improved ability to engage with learning
• 84% reported increased self-esteem
• 84% reported greater stability or improved emotional well-being
• 100% found sessions 'helpful' or 'very helpful'
• 70% drop in exclusions
• 67% reduction in internal disciplinary measures