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Childline Therapeutic Support Services

Our Childline Therapeutic Support Service (CTSS) works with any young person up to 18 years of age. This professional service is based on a resilience model and provide children, young people and families with therapeutic support during difficult or traumatic times in their lives. The aim of the service is to build resilience and increase the young person’s coping skills. We can meet children and young people at a place where they are most comfortable, which could be online, in your home, a local community centre or in their school.  

This service is about getting to know the child or young person on an individual basis, identifying their strengths and interests and using this to work towards co-designed goals.  

The Childline Therapeutic Support Service can support children and young people who have experienced: 

  • Anxiety 
  • Trauma 
  • Separation 
  • Domestic violence 
  • Bereavement 
  • Substance use 
  • Familial relationships 
  • Difficulty coping 
  • Social support 
  • self esteem  
  • Confidence  
  • Other adversities. 

This service is suitable for: 

  • Children and young people with mild to moderate difficulties. (Hardiker Level 2 or 3 ) 
  • The Childline therapeutic support service is available in certain areas across the country and is subject to catchment area and waitlist criteria (see tab where our service is available) 

We start our work by assessing the strengths and needs of the child or young person. This is then utilised to develop a personal plan with clear goals which we will work through during weekly sessions.  

The work can last for a few months and we regularly talk to the child or  young person’s parents or caregivers to discuss progress. We often support parents and or caregivers also who may be experiencing difficulties in their relationship with their child/young person.  

  • Assessment: A strengths-and-needs-based assessment over 3-6 weeks using validated tools. 
  • Goal Setting: A personalised support plan is created with the young person, setting realistic goals to work toward. 
  • Therapeutic Sessions: Weekly 1:1 support sessions over a period of up to six months. 
  • Family Engagement: We involve parents and caregivers throughout the process, offering support where needed. 

Referrals are accepted from: 

  • Parents/Carers/Guardians 
  • Teachers 
  • Professionals working with and supporting families.  

and can be accessed by contacting the service if available in your local area: (please see “Service availability” tab)

The ISPCC delivers a range of group work programmes. The group works/courses facilitate a safe and supportive learning environment for participants to develop skills and share experiences. Through the group setting, participants gain social support from peers, as well as an understanding and awareness of relevant issues, please see examples of group work we have available: 

  • Bouncing Forward- ISPCC Resilience Group Work Programme  
  • Bespoke groupwork based on need e.g.: exam stress. 
  • Theraplay groups 

 

Workshops: 

Workshops are held on a needs led and request only basis in the area where the Childline Therapeutic Support Service is available, examples of workshops are: 

  • Resilience 
  • Friendships 
  • Healthy relationships 
  • Exam stress 

 

Youth Participation: 

We have 3 Youth Participation Panels working from our Monaghan site, these are based in : 

  • Castleblayney 
  • Ballybay  
  • Monaghan town 

 

The Youth Participation panels have been involved in a number of initiatives such as: 

  • Designing their “wholesome wellness” wellbeing journal 
  • Consulting on the ISPCC outreach presentation for young people 
  • Developing an animation on resilience and wellbeing for young people 
  • Consulting on Planet Youth material  
  • Speaking at local networking events 
  • Social empathy projects with local nursing homes.  

The youth Participation panels are active and enthusiastic in their work across the areas and have made a huge contribution since their formation, if you would like to get involved in one of these and are between the ages of 12-18 please contact us on [email protected] 

Where Our Service Is Available

What young people think of our service

“It really helps you open up your feeling you may be hiding and gives a safe and comfortable environment, It helped me with breaking out of my shell and being a more open person, it helped me control my fears and worries. With feeling that my emotions are valid, that I'm ok and nothing is the end of the world”
AnonymousYoung Service User
”It helped me to feel safer when I’m around my Mom. It helped me to understand that not everything will always be ok but you can use your coping skills. I learnt that I can´t take responsibility for other people´s actions. I learnt that sometimes you can´t always control things or how people feel. I enjoyed all of the sessions because they made me feel happier about myself. The hard times feel easier now.”
AnonymousYoung Service User
“Feeling more like myself, really liked making a worry jar and putting my feelings in here it makes them less big I will keep using the worry jar to put my worries into. I liked playing the games during our sessions, they were very fun.”
AnonymousYoung Service User
“The service helped me the most with understanding myself and understanding my relationships with people and why i acted the way i did toward my family.”
AnonymousYoung Service User

What parents think of our service

"You really are one in a million and you make such a difference to kids lives and impact their lives for the better"
AnonymousParent of Service User
“It gave me hope that things can change, it helped us move together through a difficult period”
AnonymousParent of Service User
“The shame was taken away, it helped me handle it all.”
AnonymousParent of Service User
“My child can open up a lot better, we have better conversations now”
AnonymousParent of Service User