The BUS-STOP Drop-In offers a core service of listening, stress management and emotional support. This can also develop into more in depth counselling, by arrangement, for those who require it.
Therefore, we offer the same time slot every week. If any of our counsellors are already with someone else when you attend, they will of course tell you when they will be free or when the next volunteer’s free slot begins. The BUS-STOP service is available on a daily basis as a simple Drop-In facility. Our volunteers work on a weekly rota.
Opening Times:
Most Days from 9am until 6pm.
We are currently closed on Tues mornings
If the BUS-STOP facility is closed at any time, please call the emergency telephone number - 07799 - 847 - 720
We at BUS-STOP find that people clients are ready to chat and receive a little human compassion and understanding and that often is all that they need. Others may need more and wish to talk on a deeper level with regards what troubles they have.
A normal drop-in session will be twenty to fifty minutes long and is at the discretion of the volunteer. A referral may be necessary and this will be conveyed to the client.
BUS-STOP Clients are free to continue using the Drop-In facility at will and they may see whichever counsellor who is on duty at the time they attend BUS-STOP. They may incidentally choose to see a particular volunteer regularly and that is ok.
A Client who has been seeing a volunteer regularly can apply for a counseling contract (to also be agreed by the student's supervisor) and therefore a fuller relationship begins to develop with that volunteer, this entails an official agreement and will help focus the commitment to the counselling and agreed sessions and therefore a more longer term therapeutic relationship may emerge.
We also often have another ‘second’ assistant 'Welcomer', often on duty while the BUS-STOP is open to answer simple questions about the service (not giving counselling or advice) and offer leaflets and booking times.
The volunteer counsellors are in direct communication with all the various services and CMK security and able to offer and summon urgent assistance if required.
All our BUS-STOP volunteers comply with the BACP and UKCP code of ethics and practice in all aspects of the work, including confidentiality.
Records will not be stored on the vehicle that give specific personal details. All client information held is security number coded and without a number the information will simply not relate to a specific client, therefore safety and confidentiality is ensured for all clients.