Most sessions take place in school or college. We do understand that this does not suit everyone, and it might be that you are not attending school/college. In these circumstances we will arrange for sessions at a location that is suitable or at our base in Swindon.
Visiting Swindon and Wiltshire Phoenix Project
Your allocated counsellor or recovery practitioner will have spoken with your parent/carer or yourself to arrange the best time and day to meet.
Appointments can be offered face to face, online or on the telephone. Face-to-face appointments can be held at your school or college, at our therapy room in Cheney Manor in Swindon or within a suitable space that is close to your home.
On arrival, your counsellor or recovery worker will come and meet you and take you to your room, they will explain where the toilets are and will offer you a drink. If your fist session is at Nexus, when you arrive, let reception know you’re visiting Barnardo’s, and they will let us know you’ve arrived. Alternatively message your counsellor or recovery worker, to let them know. You or your parent/carer will need to sign in on the touch screen machine in reception.
If your sessions are in a different location, your therapist will explain to you before you arrive what will happen when you get there.
Your first appointment will last 50 minutes. Your counsellor will spend some time getting to know you and provide an opportunity to talk over what is important for you at this time and what you would like to get out of your time together.
Your counsellor or recovery worker will explain what happens during sessions, and what they might need to do to keep you safe. They will talk over confidentiality, and you will have the opportunity to ask any questions you might have. It is also important to decide when and where you would like to have your regular sessions.
We understand that for some children and young people, meeting new people and visiting new places can be scary, feeling anxious is totally understandable, it’s helpful to let your counsellor or recovery worker know if you’re feeling this way.
What will happen to your data?
Along with consent forms, you will be given a Your Data Your Rights leaflet, this explains how we safely and securely store your data on our system. (inset link to leaflet)
The reasons why we keep a record of your data include
• to help us decide how best we can help you
• to record how we have worked with you
• to assess how successful we have been in helping you and to report this to the organisations that are funding the work we do (we do not use any identifiable information)
• to meet relevant requirements of the law or regulatory bodies. Your data belongs to you, and you can ask to see this at any time.