GroOops
London

Welcome to GroOops
Registered Charity No: 1124036, P O Box 53287 London N3 9AD based in North London providing groupwork and counselling support to children, young people and their families going through life transitions.

At GroOops, we are primarily dedicated to helping Children, Young People and Their Families through Life Transitions such as:

Divorce

Bereavement

Aspects of Loss

Family Break-up

Domestic Violence

Learning Difficulties

School, College and Work Issues

Behaviour and Relationship Challenges

GroOops aims to provide innovative groupwork and counselling incorporating the expressive arts (where appropriate) to stimulate and engage in the development of healthy emotional wellbeing. Children, young people and their families, from all social and cultural backgrounds, who are experiencing difficulties with life transitions, are encouraged to work towards healthier ways of behaving, interacting and communicating in a safe, confidential space.

This process is carefully facilitated and modelled by multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural counsellors and other professionals. At all times we are looking to support, understand and facilitate the emotional wellbeing of our service users, irrespective of background or life experience, to promote healthy interaction and, by extension, hope to contribute to a healthy, supportive and communicative society.

In our North London schools work we practice in half-termly sets over an agreed period with the liaising school.

Our after school activities based in North Finchley are weekly throughout the term.

Our Saturday GroOops also in North Finchley are at present monthly.

Our Holiday projects for Young People and Family projects are by arrangement with our funding providers and other organisational partners.

Our 1:1 weekly counselling for Children, Young People and their Families who have taken part in our groups is by arrangement.

Our outreach projects are facilitated by counsellors, psychotherapists and expressive arts professionals experienced in our GroOops innovative, Multi-disciplinary, Psycho-educational Groupwork and counselling programmes. (Click here to see our Training and CPD Section).

Our Schools Projects for Young People have been funded by the Milly Apthorp Trust.

Our Young People's Projects have been funded by the Youth Opportunity Fund.

Our Holiday Projects for Young People have been funded by the Exchange Grant.

Our Family Projects have been funded by London Borough of Barnet.

Our Emotional Wellbeing and Counselling Forum for counsellors and all other professionals supporting Young People aged 13 - 25 in the Borough of Barnet has been funded by IYSS.

Our SRE Projects for Young People have been funded by Barnet PCT.

CONTENT AND STAFFING

Our staffing ratios are high due to the nature of the work we do. Up to three members of our staff are required for week-end work (3:8) and a minimum of two to four for our schools and other organisation's work. Each of our staff will contribute a different discipline and all GroOops are led by qualified counsellors and arts practitioners who have enhanced criminal records bureau checks. We also provide 1:1 counselling where necessary and where thought appropriate. Within our groupwork structure, we work in a bespoke fashion, following the needs of the participants and the issues that are raised.

We use an integrative approach dependent on the requirements of the group. The content of the GroOops groups can encourage an 'end product' linked to the arts with examples such as a photographic or written journal, poetry, art, dance, music and forum theatre to name a few - all of which can be incorporated into our celebratory KIDZ TAKE KONTROL production. (Please see our Events Page).

The bespoke end product can provide a tangible end goal, pride in work, focus and closure. It can allow the participant to find some sense of purpose and meaning as well as fulfilment and community as they develop their emotional wellbeing. The space within the GroOops groups hopes to encourage and support healthy psychological growth. Using these approaches together in this innovative way challenges embedded behaviour patterns and encourages new and healthier mechanisms of functioning, both personally and socially, as has been indicated in feedback from our participants and organisations. (Please see our GroOops Groups page and our Young People's page).

In encouraging creative emotional wellbeing and resilience building strategies, we aim to fill a void in mental health resources for those children, young people and their families, who are in need of early intervention, to avoid more embedded mental health issues but who may be reluctant and/or unable to engage with statutory health services.

REFERRALS

We receive referrals from individuals, professionals and voluntary and statutory agencies.

VISION

It is our vision that those who progress through our groups as participants, increasing their personal development and ability to develop emotional wellbeing, are given the support and encouragement to reinvest their positive experiences by returning as our future GroOops facilitators, co-workers and mentors. In this way we will continue and perpetuate the legacy of emotional wellbeing, social inclusion and mental health in our multi-cultural society.

For more information Tel: 020 8346 0941 or email info@GroOops.com