Overview

DiAmond is a BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy) Accredited counselling service for children, young people (CYP) and adults who are victim survivors of Domestic Abuse. There is initial capacity for 400 individuals to receive therapy each year. The DiAmond service has been developed by the organisation Listening Ear.

The DiAmond brand was co-designed with children and young people (CYP) who previously accessed counselling through Listening Ear due to their experiences of Domestic Abuse.

Since April 2019, LE has managed 1000 referrals for those presenting as a result of experiences of Domestic Abuse (691 were aged 4 to 18 years). The DiAmond service has therefore been shaped in response to the feedback Listening Ear has received from these service users.

Referrals from Warwickshire Domestic Violence and Abuse (WDVA) service only. The WDVA provider is Refuge.

The WDVA Service must specify whether the individual being referred is in Safe / relevant accommodation or not as part of the referral. There is space on the current referral form that enables this information to be shared and it should be typed in the box which states.

‘By providing this information you are consenting Listening Ear to contact you/the person you are referring or their parent/carer (if children's referral). If for any reason you need us to limit our contact, please tell us here (e.g. if you feel that by making contact we may put anyone at increased risk)’.

Referrals for those with (severe to enduring) diagnosed mental health conditions, e.g. those hearing voices, bi-polar and those with severe self-harm and suicidal ideation that cannot be managed through our risk-assessment and safety planning process, will be escalated to the care of the mental health trusts (e.g. CAMHS or the mental Health Access Hub). Parent/Guardians or adults being referred onwards to the care of the NHS will be provided with information, advice & guidance to support smooth transition of care. LE will not close a case for support made to LE, until that case has been accepted for support by the NHS or a suitable alternative provider.

Referrals to be submitted online at:
https://listening-ear.co.uk/refer/counselling/

As part of the assessment process within LE, a Safelives DASH risk checklist will be completed and renewed every 28 days. The therapist will also request any previous SDQ scores available for children and young people where available.

For enquiries about the service, contact can be made via telephone (0151 488 6648) or email (cypreferrals@listening-ear.co.uk or for adults, referrals@listening-ear.co.uk ) Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. If contacting Listening Ear via telephone, you will be asked to leave a voicemail which will be immediately emailed to an administrator.

Your call will be returned within 24 hours or on the next working day.

A whole-family telephone assessment or an in-person assessment will be held with the parent/ carer. For in-person assessments, these will be held at an agreed, accessible and safe location for the family.

CYP will be consulted as part of the assessment process at their 1st therapy appointment.

Once a child is in service, the referrer and the parent/guardian will be provided with the dedicated therapist’s work mobile number. They will be contactable during their working hours only which will be communicated at start of therapy. Therapists will not be able to answer calls when they are delivering therapy sessions and this will also be explained. The Listening Ear office is contactable 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) for all clients and for the WDVA service.

Those referred will be offered up to ten counselling sessions initially. If counsellors feel that an extension to therapy is required, they can discuss this with their Team Leader. For CYP, therapy sessions will be offered in schools. For adults, LE will explore the client’s preference for remote or face-to-face support. It may be possible to deliver sessions within refuge accommodation, as appropriate and agreed with the WDVA Service. Other venues may be sourced via Local Councils for Voluntary Services, Social Prescribing Teams, therapy room providers, libraries, community centres, schools, colleges, universities, churches and faith venues, NHS Open Spaces, crisis cafes, charities and GPs. In all cases, LE will ensure that therapeutic spaces are confidential and safe. Also in some cases, it may be beneficial to work with children and their parent/ guardian together taking a whole family approach to therapy. This can be offered according to assessment outcomes and individual need.

All those accessing counselling will also be provided with advice & guidance and will be (supportively) signposted to a range of external services appropriate to their needs.

At End of Therapy, CYP can be invited to join LE’s virtual Emotional Youth Club (EYC) sessions. Adult clients can be invited to attend LE’s virtual After Counselling Ends (ACE) sessions.

  • "She is a lot better than she was, she is now able to sleep alone"
  • "He has really enjoyed the sessions and often talks about what he has done"
  • "I feel the children would've been much worse and more negatively affected if they hadn't been receiving counselling at this time"
  • "Never had any issues at school but at home there has been a huge difference. My child seems more content"
  • "Thank you so much for the difference you have made for all of us"
  • "Yesterday my child spoke more comfortably about sharing concerns in the family. They used to keep things to themselves."
  • "The boys found it extremely helpful and enjoyed the time we spent together. It was different to what I expected and perceived counselling to be, it outstretched my expectations, it was fantastic and really helpful for us all. It was a fantastic experience and thank you for helping my children."
  • "The service is amazing I don't know where my 2 boys (and me) would be with out it"
  • This is a fantastic programme that has helped me massively. I have learnt so much about myself. Being able to talk through things I wouldn’t normally has been a massive help. The group sessions are ideal as you feel you are not alone and can help each other.