Welcome to NESSie in Ed
Supporting Positive Mental Health in Schools
NESSie provides arts therapies and counselling to support children and young people with positive mental health and emotional well-being in schools, nurseries, children’s centres and educational settings across Hertfordshire and Stevenage.
Developed and delivered by a team of experienced Arts therapists and counsellors, NESSie provides a wrap around service delivery model to ensure children and young people are accessing the right level support to meet individual needs, as well as providing support and training for parents and professionals. NESSie is part of the The Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (CYP-IAPT).
Student Support: 0-25 year olds
We provide quality assured arts therapists and counsellors who have experience working in a range of settings including early years, nursery, primary, secondary schools and special educational needs (SEN) settings. We work both 1-1 and in groups, commissioned locally or funded directly by schools. Email s.blackford@rsat.org.uk for further information.
Staff Training and Support Forums
Staff Forums offer support and information sharing. Themes arise from the needs of the group which may include emotional literacy, anxiety and resilience, bereavement, understanding attachment behaviours and sharing good practice.
Linking Closely with Outside Agencies
These services include schools, local CAMHS commissioners, National funding bodies, DSPL management groups, local mental health and well-being groups and services.
We are affiliated with the Anna Freud Centre, The Judge Business School (Cambridge) and Anglia Ruskin University (Cambridge)
Parent/Carer Support Forums
Parent Forums have been developed locally as a platform where ideas and experiences can be shared and supported. Training, advice and information is provided by qualified therapists, and is an opportunity to network and connect with other parents.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do we work?
Our approach is always child-centred with the child’s needs being at the heart of what we do. This includes working collaboratively with the parents, carers, education setting and any additional agencies working with the child and/or family. All of our qualified therapists and counsellors are skilled and experienced in working creatively in education settings. We also provide support and placements for trainee therapists. Supervision is offered to all employees within the service.
Where do we work?
We work in a range of settings including early years, nursery, primary, secondary schools including SEN schools. We provide training at local community centres, education settings and visit different sites across the counties to ensure our service is as accessible as possible.
How can I find out about up and coming trainings?
We do our best to ensure all our education settings are aware of up and coming training’s, however we also aim to have these available on our website, as well promoted through your local DSPL.
Who funds the work?
NESSie is either funded through the DSPL’s and local authority, or bought in directly through the education setting.
How do I book a therapist/counsellor?
All bookings need to made through the school or local authority. Please complete the referral form on this website, or email our counselling coordinator Sarah Blackford (s.blackford@rsat.org.uk) for further information. If you are a parent looking for support, please contact the SENCo or Headtheacher at your child’s school. If you are looking for support independent from your child’s school please navigate to our parent page for some useful resources and signposting.
What Our Community is Saying about NESSie:
