How We Can Help
y.e.s. provides advice and support in accessing welfare benefits and dealing with debts for young people between the ages of 16 and 25 years old.
If you unsure of what benefits you are entitled to, or how to claim them, we provide a “benefits health check” to ensure that you are getting the right benefit for your circumstances. We can also support you in claiming those benefits if you need us to.
If you are in debt or are receiving threats or legal action around debt recovery or eviction, we can help you. Being in debt can feel endless, daunting and confusing. Letters from creditors can feel threatening and it’s difficult to know where to start. The best thing anyone in debt can do is start tackling the problem straight away. We can support you in that process. Our specialist caseworker has a great deal of experience and knowledge in this area.
To arrange to speak to our specialist caseworker in Colchester, please either call us on 01206 710 771, text or call 07760 792928, email Claire Hughes, or call into our office at 9 Trinity Street.
To speak to our specialist caseworker in Tendring, please call 01255 434601. Please note that we are only able to offer this service to young parents in the Tendring area.
Counselling is available in Colchester and Tendring.
y.e.s. provides counselling in a confidential, non-judgemental setting with fully qualified , BACP registered experienced counsellors. We offer weekly sessions where you can talk to your counsellor about what is on your mind.
What is Counselling?
This is when a counsellor meets you in a private and confidential setting to explore the difficulties you are experiencing. Counselling always happens at the request of the individual; in other words, no-one can “send” you for counselling, it has to be your choice, nor will a counsellor tell you what to do.
Counselling gives you an opportunity to talk about the problem or problems in a safe place and be listened to without judgement. Bottled up feelings can become very intense and your counsellor will encourage you to explore various aspects of your life and feelings. You will be able to talk in a free and open way, which is rarely possible with family and friends.
Counselling offers you the opportunity to discover more about yourself, explore different ways of looking at your life and enables you to find ways of coping.
What to Expect
Each session lasts for 50 minutes, and is normally once a week at the same time. We offer 8 sessions initially, and as part of the process we will ask you to complete questionnaires which help us review how your counselling is progressing.
Your Age
Counselling is available to any young people between the ages of 11 to 19 years old. If you have a diagnosed learning difficulty we can see you up to age 25. If you are under 16 we do have to obtain permission from your parent or guardian, however details of the counselling sessions and anything you discuss with your counsellor will remain confidential*.
Confidentiality
The information you discuss with your counsellor is confidential and will not be shared with anyone outside of y.e.s. and supervision. (Supervision is when a counsellor discusses their cases with another highly qualified counsellor to ensure that they are providing you with a good standard of counselling, but names or other identifying facts are not used in this process).
In exceptional circumstances, where your counsellor feels there may be a risk of serious harm to yourself or others, or if they feel you are unable to control your own actions, your counsellor will ask for your consent to disclose some information to other professionals in order to properly help you.
How to contact us
For counselling in Colchester and Tendring please click here for our referral form. Please complete this with as much detail as possible and email to [email protected]. We will contact you as soon as possible to book a meeting with Maria Hales our Counselling Co-ordinator.
At this meeting you will have an opportunity to talk through the issues you are facing and we will then book you in for counselling if you want to proceed. Sessions run over an 8 week period but can be extended if needed.
All our counsellors are fully qualified and members of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) and work within their ethical framework for good practice.
Family Counselling Service for young people aged 11-19 (11-25 with learning disabilities) and their families. This service is based in Colchester although it is open to families from the Colchester and Tendring areas. We are able to offer up to 12 weekly one hour sessions to families experiencing problems in their relationships.
What to do next:
If you would like to book an assessment or have an informal chat, please contact Maria Hales or Gina Starnes on 01206 710771.
Please note that this service is only available to young people with a connection to the Colchester Borough.
Being homeless and having difficulties with housing is a massive strain and worry, which can affect all aspects of your life. If you are experiencing housing and homelessness difficulties, we can help you.
We will meet with you to discuss your situation and give you information regarding your rights. We will also do our best to support you through the whole process of obtaining accommodation or sustaining your existing housing.
y.e.s. does not provide accommodation but we work closely with many supported housing projects and providers and will support you in trying to get you housed.
To arrange to speak to our specialist caseworker in Colchester, please call us on 01206 710 771, text or call 07760 792928, email Claire Hughes, or call into our office at 9 Trinity Street.
To speak to our specialist caseworker in Tendring, please call 01255 434601. Please note that we are only able to offer this service to young parents in the Tendring area.
“Money talks”: support for young parents with money, debt or housing problems.
If you are pregnant or a young parent and worried about debt, want to check that you are getting all the benefits you’re entitled to or don’t know where you ‘re going to live when the baby arrives speak to y.e.s. for help and support.
We can help you sort out your finances and negotiate debts. We can also check you’re claiming all the benefits you’re entitled to or find suitable accommodation for you and your new family.
Email : Money Talks, Colchester or Tendring for further infomation.
Money Talks : Colchester
Money Talks: Tendring
Are you under 19 years old and pregnant and not sure what to do? Do you need someone to talk to? Call or text Fiona in Colchester on 07834254607 or Simone in Tendring on 07918 051688 to discuss your options.
y.e.s.’s Teenage Pregnancy & Young Parent Support Services in Colchester offer a holistic service through partnership working with Children Centres and the Teenage Pregnancy Antenatal Clinic at y.e.s.
Antenatal Clinic at y.e.s.
Arranged by Annie Parker, Vulnerable Women’s Specialist Midwife for Colchester and Tendring:
4 week course advising on ways to stay healthy throughout your pregnancy and as a young parent.
Support in Housing & Benefits
Smoking Cessation by ACE (by appointment only).
Health in Pregnancy Course at y.e.s.
Parent Education Days at y.e.s.
These workshops are for those who are 20+ weeks pregnant and 19 years of age or under (partners are also welcome). It is a relaxed, fun and informative day where a wide range of topics are covered to help you prepare for having a baby and becoming a parent.
Bumps and Beyond
Run by y.e.s. and Children Centres this group has been specifically designed for young parents up to the age of 19. The sessions are extremely popular and are run every week throughout the year across Colchester and Tendring. Expectant parents, young parents and their babies or toddlers up to the age of 3 years old are welcome to drop in for a chat, coffee and a chance to meet other young parents. We provide links to other services, and offer parenting support, advice and information.
Go Green @ y.e.s.
This project is based in 9 Trinity Street Colchester and has converted part of the garden to a busy allotment growing fruit and vegetables throughout the year. We use this space to provide volunteering opportunities to our young client and the community at large , building skills and confidence, breaking social isolation and growing food which we donate to our clients, use in cookery sessions here at YES and donate to the Night Shelter and the Women’s refuge . We are always looking for volunteers to help us, if you would like to get involved please give us a call!
