The evaluation tools we use are: The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire’s (SDQ) to be completed by teaching staff or parents, and children age 11-13. The Child Outcome Rating scales (CORS) which are completed by children under the age of 11 within their sessions.
Both the SDQ and CORS are used before counselling commences and upon completion of the therapeutic work.
Over the past five years this validated data gave evidence of and represented the percentage of children and young people that showed a positive improvement and change after receiving counselling through Kalmer.
2016-17
2015-16
2014-15
2013-14
2012-13
96%
95%
97%
86%
91%
97%
94%
96%
91%
93%
The children and young people who feel they have benefited from our counselling have individually expressed and acknowledged their own positive reflections on their relationships with themselves, their family and all those around them.
Our work has also informed Newcastle City Council’s Our Case for Change Plan and the Child and Adolescent Mental health transformation plan 2015-2020 document.
Children who have had access to our service have shown a positive improvement in their emotional wellbeing and mental health.
This improvement, in turn, positively impacts all of their relationships with those around them and their ability to learn, adapt and achieve their potential.
My counsellor has helped me loads. She has given me lots of support and techniques for how to come to a situation and has made me feel better in myself. Counsellors should be in schools because if there is a situation and you can’t tell anyone they are there to help. Also I think it is better telling someone who you don’t know and they can help you better. If you can’t tell your family or teachers of something that’s happened and you don’t have a school counsellor who can you tell?
We established very good and clear lines of communication and working practices with Kalmer Counselling which allowed for both the confidentiality of the counselling process and the schools responsibilities for safeguarding to operate. Kalmer Counselling led on this and I’ve found them to be an extremely effective service with excellent skills of communication and intuitive clarity of thought. They fully understand the relationship with school and our procedures and requirements and the resulting relationship has laid the foundations for excellent success with outcomes for our pupils.
We initially approached Kalmer for support for our youngest daughter and she began receiving counselling. Quickly, however it became apparent that in order to help her, the whole family needed to make some changes. With this in mind, Kalmer met with the family too, and discussed, supported and suggested strategies which would enable us all to find a common approach. I am pleased to say that my daughter and the whole family are much happier thanks to Kalmer, and we could not have got to where we are today without them.
