Each class in school has designated therapists as part of the staff team. Therapists鈥� caseloads are small to allow for intensive input and high levels of in-class working as well as liaison with families and workforce development. The type of input provided is dependent upon clinical need and the delivery of strategies can take place in group or individual sessions. Whilst many of the therapeutic aims for each pupil can be met through class based work there are some pupils who also need to be supported individually. These sessions are agreed with the class team when developing the timetables to allow the pupil maximum access to a broad and balanced curriculum while still ensuring that therapy needs are met. Therapy programmes are highly personalised to take into account the best form of input for each student.
The therapy team work alongside a multi-disciplinary team to gain a holistic view of the student, to gain mutual support from the team around our students and the expertise of a range of professionals. 聽聽There is a strong ethos of joint planning with teaching staff to implement high quality programmes and strategies to encourage our students to develop functional skills and encourage participation in a range of life skill activities.
Northern Counties School adopts an experiential, real life approach to learning and聽therapists frequently accompany classes on community visits. The inclusion of therapy staff on lunchtime rotas ensures that they work with pupils in every situation so enabling them to evaluate and facilitate a pupil鈥檚 ability to generalise skills beyond the classroom.
The therapy team have a range of highly specialist qualifications and experience and undertake continued professional development to ensure that strategies used in school are evidence based.
Bespoke Person-Centred Therapy Sessions
Here at Northern Counties School, we have a registered MBACP counsellor (Member of the British association of counselling and psychotherapy)聽 who offers bespoke person-centred therapy sessions for students around their wellbeing.
Referrals for this service are done through other professionals in the wider team here at NCS, students can self-refer and external services can also request that a student has access to this service, such as CYPS or CAMHS etc.
Person Centred Approaches are about discovering and acting on what is important to a person, what is important for them and finding the balance between them. It is a process of continual listening/observing and learning, focusing on what is important to someone now and in their future, and acting on this.
The listening is used to understand the person鈥檚 capacities and choices. Person Centred Approaches form a basis for problem solving and negotiation to mobilise the necessary resources to pursue a person鈥檚 aspirations. These resources may be obtained from someone鈥檚 own network, service providers offer non-specialist, non-service sources (Department of Health 2001).
If you feel that this service is something your child would benefit from or if you have any questions around this service and would like to discuss it further, please do not hesitate to get in touch anytime with Lorna.Wilson@percyhedley.org.uk or alternatively call 0191 2815821.