Community Counselling (North Yorkshire) Limited

First set-up as a counselling service in 1993, we were established as an independent charity, and company limited by guarantee, in 2013 in order to:

1. Relieve the mental suffering and distress of persons in need by reason of illness or emotional distress in North Yorkshire by providing or assisting in the provision of counselling, support and therapeutic interventions.

2. Promote and provide education and training for counsellors working in either professional or voluntary settings with a view to raising the standards of counselling for the benefit of the community.

We provide a range of therapeutic interventions such as counselling, play therapy and EMDR (trauma) treatment to over 500 adults, children and young people a year. Our services are accredited by our professional body, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and we adhere to the BACP’s Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions.

How does your organisation contribute to preventing suicide and supporting those affected by it?

Assessing clients for risk of harm to self is an integral part of the initial assessment appointment provided to each of our clients, although the need to constantly monitor for risk also forms part of each and every subsequent client session. We use a range of assessment tools to help identify risk of suicide when working with vulnerable clients. We have introduced systems changes during the past two years to help improve how we identify and report risk.
Where clients are assessed as being at risk, we develop safety plans to help them manage the risk themselves whilst also being supported by others. We regularly make safeguarding referrals to statutory agencies such as the Crisis Team and social services to help make clients safe.

What are your current priorities?

To provide suicide prevention training to all of our therapists.

What challenges are you currently facing?

Funding.