Requests for Support
Who do we support?
We support children and young people (up to the age of 18) who have been sexually abused and who live in Bristol, Bath and North Somerset, North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire. We accept referrals for young people up until their 18th birthday.
We offer face to face or online one-to-one counselling as well as art, drama and play therapy. We even offer nature-based group therapy at ‘Grow Wilder’ a wildlife site in Bristol.
We also provide support to parents and carers of children and young people who have been sexually abused and to professionals who help them.
We accept Requests for Support from professionals, parent, carers and from young people themselves if they are aged 16+.
Who can we work with?
- Children or young people who have experienced sexual abuse or assault.
- Referrals where the Police and/or social care are aware of the disclosure or discovery of sexual abuse.
- Children and young people living in Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset. To find services in other areas, please go to https://www.barnardos.org.uk/what-we-do/services
- The child or young person should be:
- Living in a stable family home with a safe and supportive adult
- In a stable foster placement with no planned moves
- No longer experiencing sexual abuse or the risk of it*
* In the case of sibling sexual abuse or harmful sexual behaviour, there must be a robust safety plan in place around both the child/ young person who abused and the child/ young person who has been abused. This needs to be in place if they are living together or there are plans for reunification or contact.
Who can’t we work with?
- Children and young people currently awaiting or accessing urgent CAMHS assessment and / or intervention, e.g. under the CAMHS Intensive Outreach Team (CIOT) or other crisis team
- Children and young people currently engaging in counselling/therapy through CAMHS, any other statutory or voluntary service, where the intervention is ongoing (exceeds 8 sessions and is a trauma-focussed therapy approach).
- Children and young people who are in care proceedings or pre-care proceedings.
- Siblings of children who experienced abuse, but who have not disclosed their own experience of sexual abuse.
- Children and young people whose primary need is for support and safety planning around harmful sexual behaviour.
- Children and young people who have already accessed support or therapy with The Green House within the last 12 months.
What happens next?
- Please review our referral criteria carefully. If you have questions about making a referral, please contact us through info@the-green-house.org.uk and we will arrange a phone consultation appointment.
- Please email info@the-green-house.org.uk for a copy of our Request for Support Form.
- Please complete the Request for Support with as much detail as possible, this helps us work out how best to support the child, young person and family. This information is stored on our secure database.
- After a Request for Support Form is completed, our Clinical Lead will review the information to check that the child or young person meets our qualifying criteria. If the child or young person does not meet our criteria, you will be contacted as soon as possible.
- After the Request for Support is accepted, the child or young person will be put on our waitlist for a meeting with our Family Support Work Team. This meeting will focus on the support needs of the child or young person and family. Therapy options for the child or young person will be discussed.
- Currently, the wait times for an initial meeting are 2-3 months. We will contact the parent/carer or young person, as requested in the form, to arrange an initial meeting once you have reached the top of the waitlist. If you have any questions in the meantime time, please email info@the-green-house.org.uk.
To find out more, visit our services page below.