Objectives

In pursuance of this mission Sunderland Counselling Service exists to:

• Promote and improve mental health and emotional wellbeing for adults.
• Provide services which assist in relieving suffering from emotional and / or mental distress.
• Improve the lives of men and women who have experienced sexual abuse and sexual violence in childhood and adulthood.
• Promote and improve positive mental health and emotional wellbeing for children and young people.
• Enable and empower users of our service to live independently in the community as valued citizens.
• Maintain and develop a professional workforce.
• Maintain services that meet the needs of our clients.
• Work in partnership with other services in the statutory and voluntary sectors.
• Work to provide any other relevant and related service for which there is a genuine demand and inadequate provision.

In working to achieve these aims Sunderland Counselling Service currently provides the following services:

• Counselling for Adult Survivors of Sexual Violence and Abuse: provides individual counselling to men and women who have experienced childhood sexual abuse or sexual violence in adulthood.
• REACH Counselling Service: The counselling element of the Rape Examination Advice Counselling & Help (REACH) service provided by Northumbria Police Force for male and female victims of sexual assault across the force area.
• Cancer Counselling Service: provides individual time limited counselling for adults suffering from any form of cancer, and for their families and / or carers.
• St Benedict’s Hospice Service: providing individual counselling and other forms of support for patients and family members / carers of patients at St Benedict’s Hospice in Sunderland.
• Community CAMHS Counselling Service: provides individual counselling to children and young people in Sunderland.
• GP / Primary Care Counselling Service: providing individual time limited counselling in GP surgeries in Sunderland.
• Sunderland Psychological Wellbeing Service (IAPT): We are one of three partner organisations delivering Sunderland’s IAPT service, providing a stepped care model of interventions for people suffering from anxiety and depression; our focus is on low intensity CBT.
• Carers Counselling Service: As part of Sunderland’s IAPT provision, a counselling service for people whose mental health and emotional wellbeing are affected by their caring responsibilities.
• Talking Matters Northumberland (IAPT): We are one of three partner organisations delivering Northumberland’s IAPT service; our focus is on low intensity CBT and Counselling.
• North Tyneside Talking Therapies (IAPT): We provide the counselling element of the North Tyneside IAPT service.
• Employee Counselling Services: Under contract to Sunderland City Council, providing occupational health counselling to council employees.
• Supervision and Professional Development: the service provides placement and volunteering opportunities and provides clinical counselling supervision, training and professional development to its staff and volunteers.

Philosophy

Counselling services are informed by a person centred philosophy where clients set the agenda and pace of the counselling intervention. Key to counselling are the qualities of empathy, acceptance and congruence.  The service is an organisational member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and therefore subscribes to the Ethical Framework laid down by the BACP which emphasises principles of fidelity, autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice and self respect.

This also means that we are subject to the BACP’s Professional Conduct Procedure, in addition to our own internal policies and procedures. By providing a safe and supportive environment for clients to explore their issues, it is hoped that they will achieve a better ability to function individually and within society and achieve a greater degree of autonomy and resourcefulness.

Equalities Statement

Sunderland Counselling Service is committed to making its services accessible to those who need them. Therefore the service operates an Equal Opportunities Policy, which applies equally to clients accessing the service as well as to prospective employees and volunteers.  We undertake not to discriminate against any potential client in ensuring that they receive services appropriate to their needs.  Where clients are unable to access services within our own premises we will do our utmost to provide services in more accessible venues, including community venues or the client’s home if necessary.  We make no charge to our clients for any of the services we provide.

Sunderland Counselling Service is an established and respected voluntary sector organisation which is committed to the promotion of volunteering while ensuring safe professional practice and a productive working environment.  Operating according to the Volunteer Charter, underpinned by the Equal Opportunities Policy, all volunteers are provided with the opportunity to access training and supervision appropriate to their role and which will also assist them in their own professional development.  Volunteer roles are evidenced at all levels throughout the service, as are the high number of volunteers who have achieved paid posts both within the service and externally with statutory and voluntary sector agencies.

Statement of beliefs and values

• Every person has the right to a decent home, adequate income, employment, food, choice, participation, concern, respect, dignity and self-determination.
• The diagnosis of mental illness should not be used to deny individuals the enjoyment of full rights and responsibility of citizenship.
• Every person has the right to live in the community in their own home or with a minimum of restrictions.
• Appropriate and unrestricted community care for individuals should be free, accessible, flexible, responsive and comprehensive.
• Access to information about the benefits, side effects and potential hazards of any treatment must be made available to service users, potential service users and, where appropriate, their carers.
• Every person has a right to have access to records and reports pertaining to his or her own treatment and care in the community.

General statement of policy

Sunderland Counselling Service will:

• Be an ethical, law abiding association of caring individuals.
• Be an equal opportunity organisation committed to the elimination of discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, religion, ethnic or national origin, gender, marital status, age, sexual orientation or disability.
• Be a registered charity.
• Encourage participation in the organisation amongst people who have suffered mental and / or emotional distress, their relatives, carers and friends.
• Work independently but in close co-operation with other relevant bodies and agencies.
• Offer its services in accessible locations.
• Protect as appropriate, the confidentiality of its clients, workers and those with whom the organisation deals in any way.
• Support carers, relatives and friends of people suffering from mental and / or emotional distress.