Delivered with experience
Our counsellors and volunteers have supported young people with confidential counselling, advice, advocacy services and health outreach programmes since 1978.
In 1996 we worked with the young people who accessed our services to set up the Young People’s Team. It’s still going strong today, guiding our approach and improving our practice.
Our Partners
None of us can work successfully alone or in isolation, we believe it still takes a village to raise a child and we welcome the opportunity to join together whether that be in the delivery of services or to make funding bids or to celebrate community events.
On this website you can see the broad range of services we deliver and hopefully get a sense of the passion we have for the people we work with and the kind of work in which we are engaged. We are interested in not only playing to our strengths but being open to new opportunities and ideas so if you have an idea for partnering up please contact Gordon Knott or Nicola Newman.
Voluntary Sector Partners
We are extremely proud to be a part of Croydon’s amazingly robust and creative voluntary sector and network of charities.
Inspired by our capacity builders Asian Resource Centre, Croydon Neighbourhood Care Association, BME Forum and Croydon Voluntary Action we are members of the Mental Health Alliance, Croydon Youth Forum, Talking Therapies Forum and Croydon Youth Consortium. We are also active members of London Youth, Youth Access and ACEVO.
Schools & Academies
Children & young people are at school 5 days per week for 39 weeks a year so we deliberately offer to meet them in their settings.
We work with 30 schools in the Mental Health Support Team project (with Off The Record), our Outreach/Talkbus team are on sites offering advice, information & workshops and our School Counselling service is commissioned by individual schools to have counsellors available on site. We believe in the Whole School Approach working alongside schools as we often support teaching and school staff too.
GP’s & NHS
NHS Services, CAMHS and GPs are among our biggest sources of referrals and so we have a lot of contact with local statutory services.
South West London Integrated Care Board supports our Community Counselling service, Safe Space service aboard Talkbus for young people who might be thinking about accessing A&E, Go Further Go Higher, Help Is At Hand phoneline, Custody Suite pilot project, MHST and the setting up of a cross-Borough Mental Health Advocacy Group by our Young People’s Team. We have a place on the Emotional Wellbeing & Mental Health Partnership Board and the CYP Mental Health Steering Group.
Local Authorities
Our shared purpose is to serve the community so our relationship with the Local Authority, its services and the Ward Councillors is mutually important.
We work with Social Care, Children’s Services, Croydon Safeguarding Children Partnership and Public Health as we know that nothing happens in isolation and a ‘wraparound’ approach is effective. We are in the LGBTQ+ Needs Assessment Group, co-Chair the Self Harm & Suicide Prevention Steering Group and are in the VCS CEO’s group leading on relationship-building with the elected Mayor’s office.
As a mobile unit our Talkbus is available to cross the border into other Local Authorities and Boroughs too!
Our Services
Advice, Rights & Advocacy
We have a full-time, in-house, very experienced Advice & Rights Advocacy worker who helps support individuals and families with issues including insecure housing, school exclusion, education rights, domestic abuse, welfare benefits, unemployment, training, debt & money management.
We are one of only five Croydon services who are accredited by Advice Quality Standards for our Advice & Advocacy provision.
Care for Croydon Collective
Care For Croydon Collective is a 1 hour monthly lunchtime webinar aimed at the local workforce and parents & carers, that encourages peer support, information sharing and discussion of highly relevant issues – recently we’ve been talking about the impact of lack of sleep, adolescents, autism, racism, mental health and the effect of trauma on young people & families.
Click here for details of our next event.
Mental Health Support Team in Schools
With our partners at Off The Record we have Education Well-Being Practitioners and Counsellors in 30 local Primary & Secondary schools to help enhance the Whole School Approach by supporting the emotional well-being needs of children and young people. We also work with parents/carers and school staff and offer face to face support and online webinars on specific topics such as Transition to Secondary, Autism and Self-Harm.
Does your school have an MHST? Contact Tim (timrichards@croydondropin.org.uk) for details.
Parent and Infant Relationship Service
Parent & Infant Relationship Service work in the family home, community settings including the Family Hubs and are part of the Council’s Start For Life programme. Our keyworkers and psychotherapists support pre-birth Mums and families to build stronger bonds and positive relationships with their infants up to the age of 2 years.
Contact us or email Juliet at julietlecointe@croydondropin.org.uk
Young People’s Team
Supported by our Outreach Team we offer 16-21 year olds the opportunity to meet weekly, get involved, be creative, make new friends and be supported. Our group is currently working on establishing a cross-Borough Mental Health Advocacy Group to get young people’s voices heard as well as planning social activities, focus groups and residential weekends.
If you know of any young people who might be interested to join our friendly team contact us via the website or through Sonia at soniagarnett@croydondropin.org.uk.
Counselling in the Community
Counselling in the Community is for children and young people aged 10 to 25 years old – the offer is for free face to face, online and phone counselling.
Sessions last 40-50 minutes, we will offer 6 sessions to start with at a regular time every week where young people can talk safely without being judged. We are good listeners, used to hearing about the challenges of life and will treat young people with respect. We also speak with a lot of parents, carers, foster carers and adoptive parents so are used to listening to adults too!
Although we are referred children and young people from CAMHS you do not need a referral to access our counselling. The first step is a face to face assessment which is booked in advance with our Duty Workers at Church Street to find out if counselling is the way forward or if not then we will help find alternative sources of support. Counselling is available every weekday evening and Saturday mornings.
Contact us through our website or phone us on 0208 680 0404.
Counselling in Schools & Academies
We are contracted by individual schools and academy trusts to deliver on-site counselling services for children and young people in Primary & Secondary schools and at Further Education Colleges.
If you are looking for an in-house counselling service from an independent charity who are experienced working with school-aged children and good value for money please contact Gordon (gordon@croydondropin.org.uk) for more information and costings.
Outreach
Outreach are out and about on our mobile unit, the Talkbus. Our community workers reach into Primary and Secondary Schools & Academies, Sixth Form and FE Colleges, residential estates, shopping & leisure centres, parks and community settings offering emotional well-being support, information, advice, guidance and informal health education.
Our team run the Help Is At Hand phoneline Mon- Fri 12-6pm for parents & carers 07592 037 823. Use the website to find out where the Talkbus is located every week or get in touch if you want to request a Talkbus visit or work with us.
Family Support
Family Support works with the young person and their family at the same time and…
- Views an issue in relation to the whole family rather than the fault of one person
- Helps families to communicate and develop helpful patterns of communication
- Encourages families to set goals and put in place actions to achieve these together
- Recognises the importance of everyone’s unique identity
- Aims for better emotional well-being for every member of the family
Contact us or email Tim at timrichards@croydondropin.org.uk for details.
Our Partners
