Staff Care Helpline

Support Line is an established service offering professional and confidential counselling, coaching and mediation to staff of Kent County Council as well as to employees of other organisations in Kent.

One of the core principles underpinning the service is the belief that an appropriate intervention at the appropriate time helps the wellbeing of the employee. Support Line endeavours to assist individuals to meet both personal and professional challenges within the workplace thus enhancing work performance

The Support Line team based at Park House, East Malling is the initial point of contact for callers. The phone line is staffed Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm.

Support Line Counselling offers organisations signed up to the service, a maximum of seven sessions of counselling a year. The first session is an assessment which allows you and the counsellor to find out what help you require.

Each one-hour session is normally offered once a week but may be spread over a longer period where appropriate.

How counselling can help
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  • Counselling can help by clarifying what the problem is and how it is affecting you
  • Helping you to find out the most appropriate way of managing your problem
  • Helping you to identify sources of stress and how to deal with them effectively
  • Helping you cope with major life changes and traumatic events
  • Looking at what is possible for you to achieve
  • Encouraging you to identify other sources of support
  • Encouraging you to build self-confidence and self-esteem.

A confidential service
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The service we offer is confidential. All counsellors abide by the British Association for Counselling Code of Ethics and Practice, which specifies a rigorous code on confidentiality.

Location
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We aim to offer you a location that is near where you live or work. We have over 50 counselling venues throughout Kent and so you will usually not have to travel very far for your appointments.

Quality
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At the end of your first and last sessions, you will be handed a questionnaire by the counsellor along with a pre-paid envelope addressed to Support Line.

We statistically analyse how the service is being used, the perceived quality of the service and if people find their counselling helpful. The information you give is managed confidentially. It provides statistics only and individuals cannot be identified.

What if counselling is not what I need
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In looking for help and support counselling may not be the most appropriate service to meet your needs. Support Line offers a broad range of services that may be more suited to your requirements.