Upskilling the counsellors

Rugby League Cares has partnered with UCEN Manchester to deliver an athlete-focused counselling course that is upskilling the charity’s staff and the professional club’s dedicated player welfare managers.

The course is designed to equip attendees with the techniques required to better support players and staff and provide a better understanding of the psychological benefits of whole-person counselling.

The knowledge I’m receiving is enabling me to make such a positive impact on other people.

Participants will gain a Level 3 qualification in Counselling Skills at the end of the course, which involves their attendance at online and in-person seminars and lectures for a full academic year. Once qualified, they can then choose to go on to a HNC-equivalent Level 4 course.

RL Cares Community and Welfare officer Amy Hardcastle, who delivers the charity’s Offload and Ahead of the Game programmes, said: “It’s been incredible, to get so much value from it in such a short space of time is quite exciting.

“The knowledge I’m receiving is enabling me to make such a positive impact on other people.”

Hull FC’s player welfare manager Feka Palea'aasina said: “The main thing for me is upskilling myself to help me provide a better level of care for players.

“You can always learn more and this course has brought to life for me.”