Our story, mission, and values
Pivot Psychological Services (Pivot) was established to meet the needs for young people who are struggling in their current educational setting or who are not currently engaging with any education or professionals. Many young people experience significant barriers to accessing or maintaining education, and they require an alternative that focuses on their specific interests, needs, and goals, to return to education or prepare for employment and adulthood.
Our mission is to help each young person we work with to feel empowered to take ownership of their educational pathway and to find a means of learning that suits their profile, needs, and interests. For some young people, mainstream education is appropriate and for others it is not. We tailor our support and target outcomes to be specific to the young person's needs, while also taking into consideration the young person's wants and future ambitions.
We pride ourselves in our specialist knowledge and experience in working with a diverse range of young people, which can include (but not limited to): autism (including PDA), ADHD, trauma, gender dysphoria, harmful sexual behaviours, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, depression, and anxiety. Our work is grounded in evidence-based psychological research and practice, which allows our service to have a deep understanding of the needs of the young person, how these needs may present, and a variety of methods that may support the young person.
Yet, we are also proud that we are relatable, down-to-earth, and approachable professionals. The key to our success is our ability to engage with a variety of young people, and to develop trusting relationships with them to ensure they feel that they are not judged and to feel safe and listened to. This position allows us to explore a young person's strengths and challenges, and find suitable ways to bridge the gap from their current circumstance to their next chapter. This has allowed us to successfully transition young people back into mainstream secondary education, post-16 college, additional alternative provisions, university, employment, and adult social care.
Pivot was founded by Karl Mears, a Psychologist, with over 15 years working in mental health and over 12 years working within the alternative provision sector. He completed his Doctorate at the University of Bath and is a Full Member and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society.
Services we provide
We are a year round service and offer several services that are key to helping young people in education and employment. All services are charged on an hourly basis, so get in touch to discuss more about this.
Alternative provision
We support young people to bridge the gap from their current situation to a more positive and succesful outcome. The duration is dependent on the needs of the young person and the target outcome.
Transition
We offer short-term support (including over the summer holidays) to help young people transition to their next setting or provider.
Ideal for people due to start at a new school, college, or alternative provision.
Support and risk assessments
We conduct a detailed assessment for professionals and educational provisions to outline a young person's developmental pathway and their education, health, and care needs. The asesssment also provides recommendations on how best the provision and professionals can support that young person.
Ideal for settings accepting new students who may be a risk to themselves and / or others.
AIM-3 assessments
Some young people exhibit harmful sexual behaviours, and the AIM-3 assessment is a holistic approach to understanding why these behaviours may have first occured and developed, outlines the current and ongoing risks to and from the young person, and provides recommendations for how to address these behaviours.
Consultancy
Professionals can utilise the specialisms and experiences of the service to better understand a young person they may be supporting, and how best to support them.
Training
We offer in-person and remote training sessions to individuals and groups wanting to learn more about psychological topics, specific needs, and types of support (e.g., gender identity, PDA, or ADHD).
Ideal for professionals looking to arrange CPD sessions.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, and keeping young people safe is a core value of Pivot. We have extensive knowledge and experience in protecting vulnerable young people and their families, and work collaboratively with relevant professionals to ensure each young person we support is safe. We attend TAC, ChIN, and CP meetings when required.