Children and young people affected by MND can now access counselling within days rather than months thanks to a collaboration between the MND Association and Barnardo’s. Young people can access the service online or over the phone at any stage they need support, from the diagnosis of a loved one to post-bereavement, and including issues such as anxiety, friendships and school concerns. If you are in contact with families who you think will benefit from this support, please contact our CYP manager: laura.willix@mndassociation.org
We have been extremely lucky to have partnered with Barnardo’s who will offer Children and young people affected by MND the opportunity to received support through a trained counsellor either via the telephone or other digital platform.
The service is available for CYP aged 4-25 and can be for both pre and post bereaved children. The therapist have been given training in MND so they are aware of the complexities around the disease and the impact that this can have on children.
There will be 8 sessions available with the last one being a signposting evaluation session and these can be spread over a number of days or weeks.
The service can be accessed within a matter of days after referral has been received.
One special thing about the service is that if the CYP is either too young or doesn’t feel the delivery of sessions via the telephone will work, the service has the ability to counsel the parents to help their children, thus empowering them to feel supportive and in control.
All we ask is that the families are known to the MND Association and the services that we provide, and that after a discussion with myself to triage whether they are suitable or not, a referral form would need to be filled out and sent back to myself who will forward it to Barnardo’s who will then make contact with the family.