ARC is a British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy accredited counselling service in Wokingham. They offer free and confidential youth counselling, with both face to face and e-counselling options and are also commissioned to deliver in-school services including counselling and peer-monitoring.
ARC is a British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy accredited counselling service in Wokingham. They offer free and confidential youth counselling, with both face to face and e-counselling options and are also commissioned to deliver in-school services including counselling and peer-monitoring.
Youth counselling can be accessed via GP or self-referral over the phone. They offer options for day and evening appointments on weekdays, and have some Saturday availability. Most appointments are offered from their main office in Wokingham but evening sessions are available from an additional three centres in Twyford, Woodley and Lower Earley. They can usually offer both male and female counsellors from a range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds to accommodate specific needs or preferences.
Use of online and digital platforms
ARC have introduced an e-counselling option that uses email. For those who may find it difficult to speak with a counsellor due to shyness, embarrassment, mobility or transport problems, this may offer an easier forum to explore personal issues. The frequency of email contact is agreed by the counsellor and young person, though typically involves one correspondence a week at an agreed time and day.
Early access to support in schools
ARC offer a variety of packages to schools in Wokingham, with most schools now accessing the service. Support includes on site counselling sessions for primary and secondary students with mild to moderate issues, play therapy, as well as staff counselling, supervision and training. They have also established a peer mentoring scheme where older students are trained and matched with younger students in one-to-one or small group relationships.
Working with the wider system
In addition to their work in schools, ARC have fully qualified counsellors based in GP surgeries and employ a coordinator to facilitate multi-agency collaboration across children and young people’s mental health services. The coordinator sits on West Berkshire’s Future in Mind panel as a representative for voluntary counselling services and is responsible for developing pathways to support step-up and down from care.
Workforce
ARC offer all staff 4 to 6 days per year of career and professional development and have a protected supervision and training budget.
Use of outcome measures
They use an online outcome framework recording system for their youth work.
Further details
| Commissioning | Joint commission, additional funding from education and grants | ||||||||||
| Providers | ARC | ||||||||||
| Workforce
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75 trained therapists and counsellors
5 play therapists 3 managerial and administration staff. All staff are part time. |
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| Population size | All ages – 161,878, under 18 – 38,019 | ||||||||||
| Age | 8+ | ||||||||||
| Caseload | Receive around 1000 plus referrals yearly and around 150 CYP are seen a week. The average number of contacts is 6 and the average length of time on an active caseload is 6 weeks. | ||||||||||
| Pathway components | |||||||||||
| Prevention and resilience – universal and early intervention for at risk | Specific specialist assessments e.g. ADHD | In-reach, inpatient and residential | |||
| Access and advice – consultation lines, triage and signposting | Scheduled care | Crisis | |||
| Early support and brief interventions | National and regional interventions | Other e.g. transition, participation | |||
| Biopsychosocial assessment | Intensive interventions |
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