Sussex Community Counselling
A strategy for addressing accessibility limitations
Context
Sussex Community Counselling aims to provide a counselling service that is affordable to all those in need, who are over the age of 16, and who are assessed as being able to make use of the service we offer.
Accessibility limitations:
1) Knowledge of the service
Only those who are aware of our service can access it and only those external referrers who know about our service can make referrals therefore our publicity and networking need to be up-to-date and effective.
Increasingly clients are likely to access the internet as a first point of information therefore our page on the SCDA website must be kept up-to-date.
The various branches of SCDA, e.g. Employability, make their clients aware of SCCand regularly refer people to the Service.
We send a letter and leaflets to local GP Practices and other local service providers, including CAB, Health in Mind, Library etc. annually.
SCC continues to monitor numbers of client enquiries.
We have built a reputation within the local community (including the medical community) for providing a quality humanisticshort-termservice. Our strategy includes maintaining and developing that reputation and building links with other service providers, for example, we are considering how to develop a contract with a local college for provision of counselling services for students. We also develop further separately funded services such as the Youth Counselling Service and Survivors of Suicide Service under the umbrella of SCS and SCDA.
2) Affordability
In our information leaflet for clients and on the website we highlight that we seek to offer counselling to clients on a low income, and our admin assistants (first point of contact for telephone enquiries) provide information about this aspect of our service.
We do not receive any direct funding for our services so rely on a minimum level of client contributions. We acknowledge the need to explore avenues of funding, particularly in the current economic climate.
3) Physical access
We are mindful of how we can provide a service to people with limited mobility. The Summerhayes building in Newhaven, 47a Western Road in Lewes and Prospect’s House in Hailsham all have good access for wheelchair users and the rooms we use are large enough to accommodate a wheelchair. The room we use at 31a High Street in Newhaven is on the first floor – we are hoping to find an alternative room.
4) Access to information etc.
SCC continues to work with individuals who may be visually impaired, or have difficulty with reading, for example, or who may need information to be provided on coloured paper. We endeavour to allow everyone to access all our literature and consult with individual clients as to their needs.
5) Review process
This statement will be reviewed on an annual basis.
SS April 2016