Founded in 1859 the Catholic Children’s Society is one of the oldest charities supporting disadvantaged children and families in the UK.

Vision
Our vision is a world where every child and family facing disadvantage get the support they need to achieve their potential, creating a better society for all.

Mission
Our mission is to bring hope and positive change to children and families.  Through complementary and creative early intervention services we seek to build resilience and improve children’s life chances.  We work with families of all faiths and none and in partnership with diverse communities.

Values
Our work is informed by Catholic Social Teaching and the core values of integrity, compassion, inclusion and partnership. By being true to these values we promote the common good, helping disadvantaged families to participate fully in society and achieve their   

Catholic Children's Society work with schools

Catholic Children's Society have qualified counsellors and therapists based on-site in over 70 schools supporting children and young people with complex mental health difficulties.

Why this is needed?

Mental health issues are a growing concern; one in 10 children have a clinically diagnosable mental health problem.  That is an average of three in every classroom.

Poor mental health can impact on every aspect of children’s lives.  They can struggle to concentrate in class, or even to attend school at all.  They can find it hard to make friends and become increasingly isolated.

Without appropriate support mental health difficulties can stay with young people throughout their adult lives and seriously impact on their long-term health and wellbeing.  This can lead to self-medication through drugs/alcohol, self-harm and even suicide.

How we help

Our counsellors and therapists work with young people to help them come to terms with their difficulties, unburden themselves and address issues causing distress.  This may be due to a range of issues such as abuse, bereavement, neglect or domestic violence.

For younger children we often use play therapy, or other creative arts therapies, to help explore the painful issues children struggle to communicate verbally.

As a result of these early intervention services children and young people develop greater resilience, are better able to cope and their emotional wellbeing significantly improves.

Improving children’s futures

By providing support at an early stage we give vulnerable children the tools they need to improve their mental health and unlock their full potential.  Ultimately this ensures they can overcome the disadvantages they face and have better chances in life.