On the Right tracks Project
On the Right tracks (OtRt) is a two year project (April 2011 to March 2013) funded by Comic Relief
Please click on the below links for further information about the OtRt project:
OtRt Project Information and Flyers
OtRt Project Bulletins
OtRt Training
OtRt Project Tools
Related OtRt Project Resources
On the Right Tracks (OtRt) Project aim
OtRt aims to improve and extend young people’s access to counselling by strengthening the capacity of youth counselling agencies to demonstrate and improve the quality and effectiveness of their practice, so securing a more sustainable public sector funding base.
The project also seeks to encourage the expansion of counselling provision, thereby increasing access to non-stigmatising mental health services for young people, who are often reluctant or find it difficult to access the more formal services of the statutory sector.
On the Right Tracks (OtRt) project summary
The OtRt project is operating in a difficult economic climate with cuts to local budgets impacting on some young people’s counselling services, leading to uncertainty about their future. Together with the emerging NHS reforms, Youth Access’ programme of activities will help local youth counselling providers strengthen their ability to both sustain their current operations and to capitalise on future funding and commissioning opportunities.
Youth Access is conducting a snapshot national survey amongst youth counselling services which will capture data on: current funding; perceived blocks in relation to public sector funding; understanding of quality and outcome measurements and relationships with GPs. The data from the survey along with key findings from other recent surveys will help Youth Access develop and roll out the offer of a combined package of free tools, training and support. These will help strengthen providers’ capacity to survive the current wave of cuts, so that they are in a position to both protect and extend their share of public sector funding in the coming years.
OtRt will be externally evaluated and have access to a national advisory group representing key stakeholders.
On the Right tracks (OtRt) project objectives
The OtRt project’s offer of a combined package of training, tools and support will help youth counselling agencies:
- Improve knowledge and understanding of quality frameworks
- Strengthen understanding and capacity to measure counselling outcomes
- Support the building of strategic relationships with funders and
- Increase funders and commissioners understanding of the quality and effectiveness of youth counselling agencies in meeting the mental health needs of young people
On the Right tracks (OtRt) project outcomes
OtRt intends to help youth counselling agencies to:
- Be in a stronger position to protect and extend their funding
- Improve the quality of their practice against recognised national standards
- Increase their ability to evidence improvements in mental health outcomes for young people engaged in counselling
- Better inform public sector commissioners of psychological therapies, particularly counselling for young people aged 16-25 yearsOn the Right tracks
(OtRt) project evaluation and advisory group
Youth access will:
- Appoint an external project evaluator
- Locally and nationally disseminate project learning and recommendations
- Work through existing networks and channels to set up a advisory group representing YIACS, commissioners, and GPs to help inform the projects tools and resources and support
For further information about OtRt contact: admin@youthaccess.org.uk
