Compass 
Who we are:
Compass is a specialist mental health service providing support
to young people in Croydon who are refugees, asylum seekers or
forced migrants.
What we do:
Counselling is offered within local secondary schools, colleges
and Off the Record.
We usually offer 6 - 12 sessions of counselling.
Interpreters can be requested.
Compass works with a wide range of issues, including trauma,
loss, self harm, suicide, anxiety, isolation and sleep
problems.
Individual group sessions in schools and colleges introduce the
concept of counselling and explore ways to access support
services.
Compass offers a 4 - 6 week group programme exploring ways to
understand and manage feelings, difficulties with transition, loss
and overcoming new challenges.
Compass runs a weekly support group for refugee and asylum
seeking boys, which provides more flexible support and offers an
opportunity to develop new friendships, get involved in activities
and access wider services.
Click here for a copy of our
poster
- Training for professionals
Training is available to organisations working closely with
young refugees and asylum seekers and provides information on
mental health difficulties, the impact of loss and trauma and
effective support strategies.
What do we believe:
We believe that all young people have the right to access
culturally sensitive support that respects individual experiences
and beliefs.
At
Compass we understand that past memories, experiences or trauma can
be difficult to cope with and worries about the future or problems
within the UK can be hard to manage alone. We aim to provide a
service which respects your own culture, beliefs and experiences,
whilst offering you a safe space to talk about things that are
going on in your life.
Making the first call:
If you would like to find out more about Compass you can contact us
directly and talk to one of our counsellors. We will need to
arrange to meet you to talk about the support you need. Your
social worker, key worker or family may be able to help with
this.
If Compass works in your school or college you can ask the
counsellor for an appointment or ask your teacher to make a
referral to Compass.
