Our approach, mission & values
Our approach
The child at the centre
With each child we meet we look and listen to how their past affects their present, reviewing closely the whole system revolving around them – school, family, peers.
Trauma informed
Alongside this approach, we look at negative childhood experiences to make our practice trauma informed, addressing the causes rather than the symptoms.
Therapeutic approach
Our qualified, experienced therapists have been trained in a broad range of orientations (psychodynamic, CBT, integrative, attachment focused, expressive arts and systemic) and work creatively to encourage body/ mind reconnection, focusing on the strengths of the child and the family in order to build and nurture resilience.
One size of therapy does not fit all
Information from the child and family is gathered during a detailed assessment in order to create a bespoke package of therapy (individual, couples, family), coaching, mentoring or group work befitting of the child at the centre of each case – one size does not fit all.
Our vision and mission
Our vision
To provide holistic specialist services to young people and their families affected by trauma or negative experiences, that will help them to reclaim their lives, and prevent the need for adult services in the future and to replicate those services throughout the UK.
Our mission
To ensure that all children in the UK receive specialist support to become healthy adults who lead complete and fulfilling lives. To provide and share inspiration and best practice with other providers across the education, health and private sectors. To develop and protect the brand, to protect the quality of the model and to take initiatives (including commercial initiatives) to raise funds.
“Our work is dedicated to promoting self-resilience, greater self-awareness, and positive relationship building.”
Our vision is that all children and families deserve the mental health support they need to thrive.
Whoever a child is and wherever they are from, their family income should not be a barrier to them accessing quality mental health support. Our free specialist trauma support is available for children and families in Essex and Suffolk who would not otherwise be able to afford it.
In a rapidly changing world, we must respond to the needs of our communities beyond the services we deliver. Some of the ways we’re working to support our communities include:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) lies at the heart of our values, ensuring we provide inclusive treatments where children and young people remain at the centre of our work. In the same way that EDI influences every aspect of our work, we aspire to be a charity where all our people are truly valued for who they are. We place great importance on the whole team feeling comfortable and able to be themselves and to reach their full potential, without fear or prejudice.
Our EDI commitment is centred on our people
Over the next three years, we are focused on:
diversifying our service user population to drive inclusion
reviewing and improving the accessibility of our services for the families we work with (and aim to work with)
a targeted recruitment drive to better reflect a balance of all areas of protected characteristics within the team.
Our EDI action is centred on collaboration
We have started by establishing and facilitating an external-facing EDI forum. The forum is for like-minded not-for-profit organisations who meet quarterly to discuss:
EDI organisational progress
routes to strengthen EDI within our communities and beyond.
Additionally, members of the forum deliver or receive peer-to-peer EDI insight training.
Environmental
We acknowledge the connection between the climate and other environmental crises and recognise our responsibility to reduce our carbon and environmental footprints for change. We also understand, from our experience working with children and young people, the impact that concerns about the environment can have on mental health.
Over the next three years our environmental focus is on our carbon footprint:
to measure our current carbon footprint
to introduce measures to improve our carbon footprint continually.
Our environmental action is centred on:
an annual environmental audit
reporting on the audit to ensure improvements and progress.
We are committed to being an environmentally responsible charity. And alongside our focus and action, we consider environment concerns in our decision-making and purchasing process.
Accessibility
We want as many people as possible to be able to access and understand who we are, what we do and how we can help. To do this our work needs to be inclusive and accessible.
We are committed to make sure the following meet the above criteria:
our website and other digital channels
documentation, presentations, and other written pieces
our physical spaces, both those we operate out of and those we use for events and other third party uses.
We want all users to read and understand what we write, including users with different mental and physical abilities. It includes the language we use, the structure of the text and the way we organise and present content.
To support us to meet these goals we have a style and brand guide.
Our Values
Specialist
Professional and accredited approaches to therapy.
Supportive
We care no matter the issue, background or context.
Holistic
Providing a full suite of therapeutic and inclusive treatment.
Committed
Persevering through the challenges.
Passionate
Keeping young people at the centre of our work.
Collaborative
Working with the wider community to ensure the best outcomes.
Page last updated: 1 May 2024