Compass deliver the New Ways therapeutic intervention programmes designed specifically for young people who have experienced sexual abuse, exploitation and harm.
New Ways Safeguarding is a psychology service which specialises in working with young people with complex backgrounds and/or harmful experiences and the impacts that this can have.
What Is on Offer?
The New Ways OCT programme is guided by empirical evidence, recommendations from academic literature and clinical practice. The focus is on processing trauma, developing healthy relationships and building resilience. It adopts a multi modal approach, however, places emphasis on a Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT), and an attachment informed framework. TF-CBT is proposed as the optimal intervention method for experience of complex trauma in youth, including experience of abuse and maltreatment (NICE, 2017, Gillies et al., 2016).
Importantly, a core element of the adoption of the New Ways programmes within Compass residential homes is the integration of intervention and a therapeutic approach to daily living. To this end all staff are specialist trained, receive ongoing CPD, are involved directly and indirectly in sessions and groupwork and utilise the shared language and behaviour support of a trauma focused approach.
Programme Delivery
Each home has a dedicated on-site Assistant Psychologist (known in Compass as a Programme Psychologist or PP) who delivers the intervention. The intervention consists of an individual and a groupwork session each week. Each session in the programme adopts a child centred focus. This means work is carried out using a variety of multi modal approaches, for example, art work, imaginative play, storytelling, active exercises, music, video clips, creative writing, reflective role play, to name a few.
The OST individual and group work programmes each have 60 core semi-structured therapeutic sessions made up of 5 modules, with 12 sessions in each. The intervention begins with a formulation period where the specific strengths, needs and therapeutic focus for each young person is determined and the programme adapted as necessary. The young person will then continue to progress through the sessions of the intervention programme. The referrer will receive a formulation and progress report at approximately 12 weeks, as well as six weekly update reports and an end of intervention report.
Modules
The OST programme comprises both individual and group intervention programmes, adopting a trauma-informed approach.
OST Individual Therapy
The individual work consists sessions covering a range of areas that can be impacted by experience of childhood trauma.
OST Group Therapy
Group therapy has less of a focus on processing traumatic experiences and aims to support young people in putting their skills and learning into practice in safe environments.
As the intervention has a cognitive behavioural basis it may not suit every young person, so it is important to review the inclusion/exclusion criteria to ensure it is the best fit.
Sometimes, if for some reason they are not deemed suitable/ready, we may suggest a different intervention suited to their needs.
To make a referral, speak to our Family Finding team today.
