Catholic Children's Society

Who we are

Founded in 1859 the Catholic Children’s Society is one of the oldest charities supporting disadvantaged children and families in the UK.

Vision

Our vision is a world where every child and family facing disadvantage get the support they need to achieve their potential, creating a better society for all.

Mission

Our mission is to bring hope and positive change to children and families.  Through complementary and creative early intervention services we seek to build resilience and improve children’s life chances.  We work with families of all faiths and none and in partnership with diverse communities.

Values

Our work is informed by Catholic Social Teaching and the core values of integrity, compassion, inclusion and partnership. By being true to these values we promote the common good, helping disadvantaged families to participate fully in society and achieve their potential.

Integrity

We treat everyone with dignity, kindness and respect.

Compassion

We make special efforts to support those who are economically and socially disadvantaged.

Inclusion

 We work with children and families of all faiths and none. We provide inclusive services and want our beneficiaries and staff to reflect the rich diversity of the communities we serve.

Partnership

We empower families to harness their potential and make positive, lasting changes in their lives by working collaboratively and in partnership.

The Catholic Children’s Society (CCS) supports disadvantaged children and families across London, Hertfordshire and the South East.  We work with individuals of all faiths and none; our sole aim is to help those in greatest need.

Our focus is to provide support as early as possible.  We help vulnerable children overcome the challenges they face so they can achieve their full potential and have hope of a brighter future.  To achieve this we deliver a range of services including:

ConnectEd Mental Health Services
We deliver professional counselling and therapy services on-site in over 70 schools.  Each year we support hundreds of children who experience issues such as abuse, neglect, domestic violence and family breakdown.  We also train school staff, enhancing their skills to identify and support pupils with mental health needs.

Rainbows Bereavement Support Programme
We provide training for school staff so they can deliver support groups for children who have experienced a significant loss in their lives. This programme helps children develop greater resilience, cope with their grief and feel less alone.  It also helps prevent more serious mental health issues from developing.

St Francis Family Centre
We provide outstanding early years education and family support for children living in Poplar, Tower Hamlets – an area with the highest rate of child poverty in the country.

St Mark’s Stay & Play
We support parents and children aged 0-5 in a deprived part of North Kensington.  Here levels of inequality are extremely high; many of the families we work with live in areas ranked in the top 10% most deprived nationally.  We provide assistance and advice to parents and educational activities for their children.  This helps to ensure children develop the skills they need to thrive at school and beyond.

Crisis Fund
We operate a Crisis Fund which provides immediate financial support for families facing a crisis in their lives. This support makes a huge difference to families in desperate situations when they have nowhere else to turn.

In addition to these services, we recognise our responsibilities to those who we placed in adoption and who attended our children’s homes.  Our Pathways Post Adoption & Aftercare Service ensures these individuals, and their families, can receive support in finding out more about their past.