Helen Roy Wanted Not Wasted (WOW) C.I.C
Providing Counselling Within Voluntary Sector Youth Provision
WOW As A Case Study
Wanted Not Wasted (WOW) C.I.C was set up as a result of North Somerset Council cuts to the Youth and
preventative services for vulnerable children. It has been running since March 2012 and recently received
three years core funding from Children In Need. It aims to help fill the gap in preventative, targeted services
for vulnerable children and young people in the South of Weston Super Mare. It is run from a drop in shop
on the Bournville estate.
It is an area with high indices of need (7 super output areas, top 25% and 1% nationally). Many children are
living with parental substance misuse, mental health and domestic violence, with a history of social care
and or police involvement. Many of the children who access our services smoke (it’s quite common for
children to try their first cigarette aged 9 years), eat unhealthily and are involved in low level or more
serious criminal activity . A significant proportion aged 14yrs+ have been excluded from school, and many
have been excluded from several schools and some are not attending school at all. A high number of the
children aged 13yrs+ smoke cannabis and are sexually active.
We realised that providing positive activities and groups was not going to be enough to meet the needs of
the most vulnerable children in the area. So as well as providing these, we set up counselling and
mentoring services in order to provide a holistic support package for children.
The government recently produced two documents to inform schools and local authorities about promoting
wellbeing and mental health for children. These are Future in Mind (Department of Health) and Counselling
In Schools Blue Print (Department for Education).
These recommend:


In every part of the country, children and young people having timely access to effective mental
health support when they need it;
Making mental health support more visible and easily accessible for children and young people.
With additional funding, this would be delivered by every area having ‘one-stop-shop’ services,
which provide mental health support and advice to children and young people in the community, in
an accessible and welcoming environment. This would build on and harness the vital contribution of
the voluntary sector.
We have found that by providing free counselling within our drop in the WOW Shop and low cost
counselling within local schools, that we are helping to make mental health provision in the area more
accessible and timely. Our counselling service started in January 2013 and has gradually grown and we
have provided counselling to over a hundred children since then.
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‘There is evidence of extensive and rising need in key groups, such as the increasing rates of young
women with emotional problems and increasing numbers of young people presenting with self-harm. There
is also increasing policy acceptance of the long term consequences of ongoing difficulties, including
significant impact on employment, physical and mental health, with the oft-quoted figure of 66-75% of adult
mental illnesses (excluding dementia) starting by the age of 18’ 1
‘The last UK epidemiological study suggested that, at that time, less than 25% – 35% of those with a
diagnosable mental health condition accessed support. There is emerging evidence of a rising need in key
groups such as the increasing rates of young women with emotional problems and young people
presenting with self-harm. Data from the NHS benchmarking network and recent audits reveal increases in
referrals and waiting times, with providers reporting increased complexity and severity of presenting
problems. 3
A recent model developed by the Tavistock Clinic for CAMHS ‘Thrive’, moves away from the Tier model of
intervention, and divides children’s mental health needs into four areas:
1. Coping (sign posting, self management, one off contact)
2. Getting help (goal focused, evidence informed and outcome focused intervention)
3. Getting more help(risk management and crisis response)
4. Getting risk support(extensive treatment)
The Thrive model suggests that the interventions should not be based upon severity of need or type of
problem, but how they are presenting at the time (i.e. coping or not coping). Although this model is based
on CAMHS intervention, it is useful to see where voluntary sector counselling fits into this. The level of
support we at WOW have been providing, would suggest we fit within the ‘Getting More Help’ and ‘Getting
Risk Support’, often in conjunction with other support (social care, school nurse, school support, CAMHS).
Although ‘Thrive’ places the burden of supporting children outside of the ‘Coping’ category on statutory
health providers, ‘Counselling In Schools A Blue Print’ 2 acknowledges the key role schools and the
voluntary sector can play in supporting children with emerging mental health needs. This can include
community counsellors assessing children’s mental health needs and supporting schools to decide if further
support is needed, reducing the burden of assessment currently placed on CAMHS.
Foot Notes
1. THRIVE The AFC–Tavistock Model for CAMHS
2. Counselling In Schools A Blue Print For The Future, Department for Education
3. Future in Mind, Department of Health
2
Thrive Category
Presenting issues of child/young
person
Historical Youth
Service Response
Areas for future
development
Resources/Skills
Coping (sign posting, self management, one off
contact)
‘Within this grouping would be children, young
people and families adjusting to life circumstances,
with mild or temporary difficulties, where the best
intervention is within the community with the
possible addition of self-support. This group may
also include those with chronic, fluctuating or
ongoing severe difficulties, for which they are
choosing to manage their own health and/or are on
the road to recovery.’
Anxiety, low mood, low self
esteem, isolation, loss
Activities
Mentoring
Listening and reflecting
Informal education
Therapeutic
groups
Relationship building
Web based
support
Scrap books
Getting help (goal focused, evidence informed
and outcome focused intervention)
‘This grouping comprises those children, young
people and families who would benefit from focused,
evidence-based treatment, with clear aims, and
criteria for assessing whether aims have been
achieved. This grouping would include children and
young people with difficulties that fell within the remit
of NICE guidance and where there are interventions
that might help.’
Getting more help(risk management and crisis
response)
This grouping comprises those young people and
families who would benefit from extensive long-term
treatment which may include inpatient care, but may
also include extensive outpatient provision.
Self harm, suicide ideation, high
anxiety, trauma, past abuse,
bereavement, persistent low mood,
irrational and intrusive thoughts,
hearing voices, eating disorders.
Trying to support
young people within
existing services
Children at risk of harm: severe self
harm, severe eating disorders,
suicide attempts, debilitating
anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder, depression. Specialist
health involvement.
Supporting other
Community and
agencies and
school based
parents/carers/siblings counselling
Residentials
Group
work/Workshops
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Assessment Tools
Drop ins
Therapeutic games/
sheets
School support
Stories
Leaflets
Craft
Community and
school based
counselling
Getting risk support(extensive treatment)
‘This grouping comprises those children, young
people and families who are currently unable to
benefit from evidence-based treatment but remain a
significant concern and risk. This group might
include children, young people who routinely go into
crisis but are not able to make use of help offered, or
where help offered has not been able to make a
difference, who self-harm or who have emerging
personality disorders or ongoing issues that have
not yet responded to treatment.’
Children not able to access
support. Severe self harm, severe
eating disorders, suicide attempts,
debilitating anxiety. Complex
multiple needs. Social Care
involvement.
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