Frequently asked questions
For young people
Q. What does Skylight do?
A. Skylight works with children and young people, who have been sexually abused or assaulted.
We know that young people of any age who have experienced sexual abuse often want and need support to deal with the after effects.
All young people who come to Skylight do so because they feel it is right for them
Q. How does Skylight work with young people?
A. Skylight is a confidential counselling and therapy service for children and young people.
We offer young people the opportunity to meet regularly with either a female or a male worker. The choice is yours.
Q. Does this mean I have to sit and talk?
A. Some young people like to talk about what is worrying them, others prefer to draw, use paints, clay, plasticine or use games and toys.
Skylight workers try to help young people find the best way to express how they feel or what might be troubling them.
Q. Do I have to talk about what happened when I was abused?
A. Skylight workers know that sometimes young people do not want to go into detail about exactly what happened to them.
However, young people often find it helpful to meet with someone to talk about how the abuse and other experiences have left them feeling.
Q. How would I arrange to come to Skylight?
A. Speak to your social worker or another adult who supports you.
Ask them to ring us and make a referral. Our phone number is 0131 561 1464.
Q. What would happen next?
A. At the start young people meet a Skylight worker for a few sessions. The worker also meets with the important adults in the young person’s life. Then we think together about how best Skylight might help.
Q. Where would I meet someone from Skylight?
A. We have places to meet with young people in Edinburgh, Livingston, Bathgate and Tranent.
For parents
Q. What happens when my child is in the therapy room?
A. The counsellor or therapist is trained to work at the child or young person’s pace. This means they will try to find ways of helping your son or daughter express their feelings about the sexual abuse. They may do this through talking or by using art materials, puppets or sand play. They won’t be asked a lot of questions.
Q. What will I be told about how the therapy is progressing?
A. You will be involved in regular reviews and will get copies of reports written for these reviews. You won’t get to hear all the details of the therapy sessions.
Q. How do I know my son or daughter is safe?
A. All staff are subjected to an Enhanced Disclosure (police check). They are also trained in child protection and will provide a safe space for your son or daughter to recover from the abuse.
Q. What if I feel I need support myself?
A. Let somebody in the project know by phoning or talking to your child’s worker or the Service Manager. We will than arrange for a different Skylight worker to see you to assess your support needs.
Q. Can you support my son or daughter at court?
A. No. We will continue to offer counselling to your son or daughter. We can’t support them at court as it is possible that a Skylight worker may be called as a witness.
For professionals
Q. Who can refer?
A. Any professional can refer. In the past it was generally social workers who referred but we get referrals from lots of different sources, including health visitors, guidance staff, youth justice and voluntary sector projects.
Q. What information do I need to refer?
A. A child or young person needs to have made a disclosure. Our referral pack contains a lot of detailed questions on the nature of the sexual abuse. We ask people to complete what they can. We don’t expect you to be in a position to answer all the questions. We ask the questions so that we don’t need to ask the child or young person specific questions about the abuse.
Q. Can I refer pre-trial?
A. Yes, the Scottish Executive has published new guidance on Therapeutic Support to Child Witnesses in Court Proceedings. This states quite clearly that the paramount consideration in deciding whether to offer pre-trial therapy is the welfare of the child.
Q. The young person I am working with is reluctant to meet a new worker. Can you support me to do some direct work?
A. Yes. We would offer this through our consultancy service.
Q. How long is your waiting list?
A. This will depend on the rate of referrals. However, it is usually no longer than 2 months.
Q. How do I access training?
A. Contact the service in the first instance. We will let you know which courses are planned. The nominations are co-ordinated through the local authorities. At present we only offer training to City of Edinburgh and West Lothian employees.
Q. Can we pay for a training course?
A. Yes. Contact the service to discuss your training needs. We will cost out a training package for you.
Q. Can I spot purchase work with a young person?
A. Yes. Contact the service and we will cost out an assessment package for you.
Q. Do you offer counselling to adult survivors of child sexual abuse?
A. No. Our parent work service is designed to give space for parents to think about the impact on them of the sexual abuse of their child. However, we recognise that many parents may have their own history of sexual abuse. We will offer an opportunity to help them think about this and how it affects their current situation. We will help them access counselling if they feel they need this.
