Therapeutic support services
This service operates across the Trust at Grafham and Brantridge schools. It is made up of the following members:
- A Consultant in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, who supervises the work of the other members and provides advice and support as appropriate to management.
- Two professionally accredited Counsellors.
- Two professionally accredited Art Therapists.
- Two professionally accredited Speech and Language Therapists.
As a team they work with individual pupils and with other members of staff to assist in the process of helping pupils achieve beneficial changes to the ways they feel, think and behave. The principal approach is via individual work, but also with families whenever possible. Recognizing that verbal communication can sometimes be a problem, art therapy is often a way around this problem. Speech and Language therapy is also useful for many pupils.
Pupils likely to benefit are as follows:
- Those experiencing emotional and associated behavioural difficulties.
- Those with social and communication difficulties.
- Those in danger of being excluded.
- Those struggling to cope with major life events, such as bereavement, parental conflict and divorce and major illness of family members.
- Those coping with the effects of violence, emotional and sexual abuse.
- Pupils with alcohol and/or drug misuse.
- Sexual identity issues.
- Learning or physical disabilities.
Confidentiality is guaranteed at the outset with one proviso; that is regarding anything that may be identified as a significant risk to the individual and/or others.
Pupils can refer themselves to TSS but are more commonly referred by other members of the staff team. Whilst it is difficult for families to become involved it is always desirable that they should have the opportunity to do so if they wish.
The duration of therapeutic involvement will vary considerably and is always discussed at the outset. It is emphasized that attendance is entirely voluntary and can be ended by the pupil at any time - preferably after some discussion about such a move. Pupils are also free to request a resumption at any time and this would be carefully considered by both parties before any resumption.
As everything is designed to work on a multi-disciplinary basis, regular meetings are held involving all disciplines in the school to review, discuss and advise on problems that pupils are felt to be exhibiting.
Finally, it should perhaps be made clear that the service is very much a supportive one in the process described above. It does not attempt to provide an alternative CAMHS service and would not become involved if a pupil was already attending CAMHS.
"We offer yearly, clinical placements for selected trainees from HEI's offering accredited MA courses in Art Psychotherapy training."