Secondary Outreach
Report on secondary outreach
Chessbrook offers secondary outreach support to all twelve local schools. All schools receive support at least one half day a week, with certain schools receiving extra, dependent on need. In most cases, two staff work in each school, though again this can vary depending on requirements. All outreach staff possess, as a minimum, Relate Basic Counselling Skills accreditation; in addition, they all receive regular training to update their knowledge, plus supervision. Regular Relate courses are held at Chessbrook and staff from local schools are invited to join with our staff for this valuable training.
Since September 08, over five hundred students have had the opportunity to access secondary outreach support. This is a huge achievement and one that is very much appreciated by all the schools in which we work. Students are referred to our service for a variety of reasons, such as anger management, poor behaviour, low self-esteem, social skills issues, problems with transition from primary to secondary school and bereavement. It is most important that any student considered to be at risk of exclusion is seen by outreach staff, for it is through this route that other support can be accessed.
Normally, outreach staff work with students for six weeks; at this point, a review takes place to determine whether or not sessions should continue. If success has been limited, more work may take place, perhaps with a different focus. This could involve a continuation of individual or group sessions, referral to another agency or the opportunity to take part in the new ‘Reflect and Relaunch’ groups at Chessbrook.