Survive contributes to new report from BACP, highlighting the gap of funding presented to community counselling services.
The British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) has today released a new report highlighting the “flexibility of community-based counselling services and the growing demand pressures they face”.
Survive was amongst 11 organisations from across England asked to contribute to the report, which stresses the importance of third-sector counselling and psychotherapy services, and their need for consistent funding and transparent data on referrals.
Third-sector counselling services are neither NHS nor private but rely on a variety of funding and donations from several sources – many of which are short-term, leaving the sector open to multiple challenges.
The report found “that across the country there is a growing number of referrals – formal and informal – from NHS sources but without funding to meet this increase in clients.”
Survive’s CEO, Ms Mags Godderidge, said, “Demand for our service has grown to unprecedented levels – at year end 31 March 2023, we reported a 40% increase in referrals. This demand has since increased even further. The NHS now accounts for 28% of referrals – compared to just 11% three years ago. We offer specialist services and trauma-specific interventions that are flexible and responsive to the needs of survivors of sexual violence and abuse, but increasingly, survivors in need are on our waiting-lists for longer because of a lack of funding.”
Third Sector Lead Jeremy Bacon said: “This report highlights the vital and responsive work being delivered by third sector counselling services and the increasingly difficult landscape they work in, with rising demand and referral from NHS sources, but without the additional resource to meet it. In the past year, we’ve received numerous reports of the closure of community-based counselling services, unable to sustain the financial pressures they face. I hope that this report provides a ‘calling-card’ for third sector organisations and it will support our ongoing policy and influencing work with policy-makers across the UK to increase resources for third sector services so that they can meet demand and adequately pay their therapists.”
Following the research, the report recommends:
- Longer funding cycles
- Simplified commissioning arrangements
- Better engagement between commissioners and third sector
- Specialist services must be available to those who need them
- Improved recording of referrals from the NHS
Ms Godderidge adds, “This report is an overdue call to policy-makers and commissioners to better understand, recognise and support third sector services.”
