The-Exchange is a service dedicated to supporting children and young people. Everyone in the team has experience in supporting young people. The directors and mangers of the organisation are qualified psychotherapists and are committed to the wellbeing of children and young people of every race, culture and age. The members of the team are all highly trained in what they do and take pride in doing it well.

The-Exchange team was first formed in 2006 in response to a request to help in schools to support young people who had difficulties but no one to talk to.

Schools were a good place to start because it is where a lot of young people go and they can easily access us. Our first project was in Scotland and since then we have provided similar service in Wales and England. Wherever we provide the support for young people we build a local team of well-trained counsellors and ensure that they have the help to offer the highest quality of support for the young people in that area. We also realise that not all young people attend school (and some are suspended from school) and we do what we can to create alternative services in other locations so that every young person can access the services we provide.

The-Exchange only employs counsellors and staff who are properly trained and who have experience of working with young people. It is essential that the young people who use our services get the best services available and we don’t compromise in how we provide that service.

The-Exchange also supports the development of volunteers of all ages and especially young people. We are keen to help young people to become peer counsellors and we provide a structured support programme. Anyone who volunteers for the-exchange goes through a rigorous selection process and is then supported throughon-going training and mentoring.

The core of our activities focus on

• developing psychological resilience for children and young people
• offering one-to-one counselling, play therapy, group work for children and young people
• working with adults who care for children (parents, teachers, therapists, social workers)
• providing practical advice and guidance for children and young people
• supporting emotional intelligence/literacy in children and young people
• skill development in peer support programmes for children and young people