Primary Counselling:

REFERRALS FOR THE CHILD FIRST COUNSELLING SERVICE SHOULD BE MADE ON THE CHILD FIRST REFERRAL FORM, which can be downloaded HERE.

Completed Referral Forms should be emailed (password protected), to sacha@csncic.net. Referral forms should include the signature of the consenting parent and that of the Headteacher. 

All Referral Forms will be acknowledged within 48 hours. If you don’t receive an acknowledgement please email sacha@csncic.net to ensure that your form has arrived safely.

Child First provides support for children and young people from Child First Primary Schools via one to one, solution-focused, counselling that allows them to explore their own emotions. The service strives to improve the young person’s mental health and sense of emotional wellbeing. Children from Child First Schools are able to access this support via referrals made by their school.

A range of techniques are used in sessions that allow these sessions to be tailor made to meet the young person’s needs.  These approaches include CBT techniques, NLP, relaxation, Solution Focused Therapy and strategy based work.

The service is delivered as a Tier 2 Mental Health/Wellbeing provision, with highly qualified and experienced workers.

Child First Trust’s Counselling team includes Karen Ball, Laura Fryer, Michelle Symmes and Kelly Rothery.  We are also fortunate to be working with student counsellors Kate O’Sullivan and Chris Rogers.

In addition, we are ably supported by our Secondary School Counsellors, Kirsty Corney (St Helena,) Peter Banes, (Colchester Academy), Clare Davies (Colchester Academy), Debbie Hardy (Paxman’s Academy) and Tom Huber (Holbrook Academy).

Kate O Sullivan

Karen Ball

Debbie Hardy, Primary Counsellor and Paxmans Academy

Secondary Counselling:

Child First offers a specific counselling service to its secondary aged students. This service is provided by a superb team of counsellors..Kirsty Corney (St Helena,) Peter Banes, (Colchester Academy), Clare Davies (Colchester Academy), Debbie Hardy (Paxman’s Academy) and Tom Huber (Holbrook Academy).