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| Off the Record (charity) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Off the Record |
| Formation | 1968 |
| Type | Charity |
| Headquarters | Bristol |
| Region served | England |
| Leader title | Chief Executive |
Off the Record (charity) is a UK-based mental health charity providing counseling, advocacy, and youth-led services for young people. Founded in the late 1960s, it operates in urban and regional settings offering drop-in support, group work, and outreach across communities. The organisation engages with public bodies, health services, and educational institutions to address youth mental health, wellbeing, and social inclusion.
Off the Record emerged during a period of expansion in youth services influenced by figures and institutions such as John Bowlby, Anna Freud, National Health Service, Child Guidance clinics, and community movements in the late 1960s. Early development paralleled initiatives from Barnardo's, The Prince's Trust, Youth Hostels Association, and voluntary sector networks in Bristol and surrounding counties. Across the 1970s and 1980s the charity adapted to policy changes shaped by the Kennedy Report, Children Act 1989, New Labour reforms, and funding frameworks tied to bodies like the Big Lottery Fund and Department for Education. Collaboration with NHS trusts, universities such as University of Bristol and professional groups including British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy influenced service models. In the 2000s and 2010s the organisation responded to national campaigns led by Mental Health Foundation, Time to Change, and statutory shifts from NHS England and local authorities.
The charity's mission aligns with strategies invoked by World Health Organization, UNICEF, and domestic standards from Care Quality Commission and Health Education England to deliver confidential counseling, peer support, and digital wellbeing resources. Services include one-to-one therapy informed by modalities referenced by Carl Rogers, Albert Ellis, and training standards from British Psychological Society and Royal College of Psychiatrists. Offerings target teenagers and young adults interacting with schools such as Clevedon School, colleges linked to City of Bristol College, and youth hubs modeled on projects by YMCA and National Children's Bureau. Safeguarding and equality work reflects guidance from NSPCC, Equality and Human Rights Commission, and local safeguarding partnerships.
Program delivery has encompassed drop-in centers, online counseling platforms, and school-based interventions including partnerships with initiatives like Healthy Schools Programme, Youth Justice Board diversion projects, and community arts collaborations with institutions akin to Bristol Old Vic and Royal Shakespeare Company outreach. Projects have included mental health first aid training aligned with curricula from Mental Health First Aid England and resilience workshops drawing on research from Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience and Anna Freud Centre. Digital innovation phases referenced technologies promoted by NHS Digital and platforms inspired by Mind and Papyrus suicide prevention resources. Evaluation pilots have paralleled methods used by What Works Centre for Children's Social Care.
Governance structures mirror charity sector practice under the Charity Commission for England and Wales, with a board of trustees drawn from sectors including higher education (e.g. University of Bristol), law firms associated with Law Society, health commissioners from Clinical Commissioning Group predecessors, and fundraisers experienced with Comic Relief and Children in Need. Funding mixes grants from trusts like Paul Hamlyn Foundation, income from local authorities, statutory contracts with entities formerly known as Primary Care Trusts, and private donations similar to models used by British Red Cross and Shelter (charity). Financial oversight uses accounting practices referenced by Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.
Impact assessment has drawn on outcome frameworks used by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and evaluation methodologies endorsed by Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Nesta. Reports have tracked metrics comparable to those published by Mind and YoungMinds, demonstrating changes in wellbeing, school attendance, and reductions in crisis presentations to Accident and Emergency departments. Independent audits and academic collaborations with departments like School of Social and Community Medicine at universities have produced case studies and longitudinal analyses modeled after research published by BMJ and The Lancet Psychiatry.
The organisation has partnered with statutory and voluntary actors including NHS England, Local Education Authorities, youth charities like Barnardo's and Youth Access, and advocacy coalitions such as Time to Change and Heads Together. Campaign engagement has aligned with national policy consultations opened by Department of Health and Social Care and cross-sector alliances coordinated with National Children's Bureau and The Children's Society to influence commissioning, early intervention strategies, and mental health curricula in schools.
Notable initiatives have coincided with national awareness events including World Mental Health Day, collaborations during Children's Mental Health Week, and local campaigns echoing national drives by Mind and YoungMinds. The charity has participated in conferences hosted by Royal College of Psychiatrists and contributed evidence to parliamentary inquiries similar to hearings at the House of Commons Health Select Committee.
Category:Charities based in England Category:Mental health organisations in the United Kingdom