Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the service based?
The service is based in the United Kingdom.
What's the difference between the Counselling Service provided into the Health Sector, Education Sector and Corporate Workplace (EAP)?
The Managed Counselling Service we deliver into the NHS has been tailored to meet the specific needs of the Health Sector, especially those needs of Primary Care GP Practice Services. We have developed an in-depth understanding of the issues and trends that are important with this sector and our Service reflects that in terms of its policies, procedures, sensitivity to the key issues and experience of our Counsellors.
The Managed Counselling Service we deliver into Schools and Colleges has been tailored to meet the specific needs of the Education Sector, particularly those needs of Schools, Colleges and Universities. Similarly, the needs and issues of this sector are specific and unique to the needs of pupils and education staff and we have developed an in-depth understanding of the issues and trends that are important.
The Managed Counselling Service we deliver into the Workplace is an Employee Assistance Programme(EAP) which has been tailored to meet the needs of organisations who wish to provide counselling services to their staff, either face-to-face or over the phone.
What are the advantages of a Managed Counselling Service as compared with employees or clients going to a private Counsellor?
A Managed Counselling Service ensures a reliable, trustworthy and consistent quality of service. Counsellors are available when needed to offer a flexible, appropriate service.
It provides more than Counselling alone to clients. It provides a comprehensive range of interventions to assist this process, including assessment, signposting, provision of guided self-help information, counselling and clinical outcome measurement services.
TCS manages all aspects of an outsourced counselling service, thereby giving organisations peace of mind. We manage the Service accounting for the time in terms of clinical work and the necessary administration which supports the clinical work. We report on usage and on levels of DNA and we proactively put in place procedures which maximise usage and minimise missed appointments.
Clients can have assessment appoints arranged within a week of being referred to the Service.
Some organisations will want a Counsellor to be based on their premises e.g. a GP Practice or School, which additionally ensures ease of access and responsiveness to staff/clients alike. TCS offers an excellent balance of quality, responsiveness, accessibility and flexibility. All our Counsellors are required to undertake a specific amount of Continual Professional Development every year, to ensure the best service possible.
How is the Service clinically evaluated?
TCS evaluates the services utilising clinical measures which help provide detailed feedback to organisations. Very simple measures such as CORE, PHQ9, HADS etc are used and are able to provide measures of change.
TCS works to clear clinical governance procedures that have been developed and refined over the past 14 years. These set out polices and guidelines for best practice.
How do you recruit Counsellors?
We are committed to delivering high standards of professional and clinical excellence throughout all of our services.
When managing the selecting of counsellors, we ensure that we only engage those with the appropriate qualifications, the necessary level of experience, the on-going continual professional development and the appropriate insurance.
All counsellors at TCS are members of a UK-recognised governing body and are either accredited or hold advanced diplomas in counselling. As an Organisational Member of BACP, TCS is bound by its Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy and subject to the Professional Conduct Procedure for the time being in force.
Where the type of work requires it, TCS ensures that the Counsellors have undergone an Enhanced Criminal Record Bureau check, to further reassure users of the service.
All of the Counsellors are trained professionals, who are bound by a strict code of Confidentiality, as required by their professional membership of their governing body.
We contract with the counsellors ensuring that they have a clear description of their roles and responsibilities and that the necessary clinical supervision is in place.