Our diverse charity provides health and wellbeing services for children, young people and their families.
We run school nursing, school health and wellbeing services, substance misuse and sexual health services for children and young people across England and have been among the “trailblazers” for the government’s drive to establish Mental Health Support Teams in schools.
We offer consultancy and training for nationally known clients.
More about our work
Targeted services
Early intervention services for children and young people presenting with low to moderate specific health needs or at risk of developing additional needs due to other presenting vulnerabilities or as a result of risky lifestyle behaviours. It can include aftercare support for children and young people stepping down from specialist intervention and or those who may need brief advice or interventions.
Specialist services
Behaviour change interventions for children, young people and families needing more structured support via a range of talking therapies. This includes working with other health specialists for those that may be in need of inpatient or acute residential support.
Universal services
These include school nursing services for school aged children, young people and their families that deliver prevention and early help interventions. Activities within the service include health needs assessments, health promotion and protection initiatives, professionals’ training, family and school support on managing issues.
Issues tackled range from bullying, peer and family relationships, bedwetting, mental health, supporting children and young people with special educational needs, long term conditions and disabilities, family weight management, to health assessments for children and young people where there are safeguarding concerns.
Training and Consultancy
Through its trading arm, Positive Effect, Compass applies its public health expertise to the public and private sector workforce to develop preventative workplace wellbeing initiatives.
This includes tiered training on mental health awareness and delivery of brief interventions, senior leadership and line manager training and peer wellbeing champions’ programmes. We help organisations develop whole organisational approaches to mental health and wellbeing.
Face to face support
Our services are provided face to face wherever possible as this is the basis for truly developing a meaningful, therapeutic relationship that provides the opportunity for children and young people to develop important life skills. Digital support is available.
Compass delivers services through a value based inclusive approach.
Interaction, more than intervention
Interventions are important, but it is the quality of the human interaction that is paramount. A simple interaction can be lifechanging.
During times of trauma, pressure, distress, vulnerability and uncertainty, it’s often not what people did but how they made people feel that is remembered.
Rachel Bundock, Compass CEO
Being there for someone, listening to them and showing kindness and empathy can never be underestimated. When we help, we want every child, young person or family member, or indeed member of a partner organisation to feel valued and supported and that they have gained from our time and expertise.
Supporting each individual
Every child, young person or family has their own story and journey – our responsibility is to be authentic and genuine, to actively listen and take time to understand their story without assumption, or bias and adapt how we engage and support each individual.
We must also ensure they do not have to repeat their stories and will fully support them to seek help with other agencies where appropriate.
These are the foundations of true personalised and inclusive care.
Valuing our workforce
Compass strives to be representative of the communities it serves both in terms of protected characteristics, and lived experience.
Everyone at Compass has lived experience, either first hand or through their professional work. It drives those all-important human interactions as well as creating a diverse skilled workforce fit and capable to serve.
Values in Action
Compass models evolve through change and innovation driven by frontline staff who truly understand the needs of children, young people, families and local populations.
To enable this, our leaders recruit people with different skillsets, lived experiences, ways of thinking and perspectives who are empowered to innovate and challenge. We actively seek their ideas, discuss them and wherever possible, incorporate them in our models of working. We find this helps develop more comprehensive, cohesive and inclusive services.
Ultimately, we must be the best advocates for our service users and we must deliver services that best meet their needs.
