About Us
Avenue is a charity, based in Aberdeen, that provides support to families and individuals across the North East of Scotland, with a focus on relationships, wellbeing and children.
Originally two separate charities, Family Conciliation and Marriage Counselling were established to help children, couples and families. Over the last 70 years, Avenue has changed and developed in response to the changing needs of the people that the charity exists to support.
Our mission is to encourage personal growth, strengthen relationships, promote family wellbeing, support children and enable healthy environments for all. We are working towards a world in which happy, healthy people enjoy harmonious and respectful interactions in all aspects of their lives.
Avenue has 6 key values that underpin everything that we do:
- Effectiveness
- Integrity
- Respect
- Credibility
- Independence
- Innovation
Avenue supports children’s rights. We believe that children have a right to a family, as well as a right to have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives.
We believe that everybody has individual needs and that, wherever possible, interventions should be tailored to those needs.
We recognise that families come in many different forms, shapes and sizes, and are committed to helping all family members to sustain healthy relationships with each other and their children.
Our Team
Avenue’s team has a range of skills and training, and many of us have lived experience of some of the challenges that you might be facing today.
All of Avenue’s practitioners meet the professional standards appropriate to their specialisms. Counsellors and Therapists are all qualified to at least Diploma level and have additional specialist training as appropriate. Family Mediators are trained to nationally agreed standards and are registered with The Lord President of Scotland. The Family Time team receive a wide package of training as suits the varied demands of their role. Any of our practitioners who work with children and young people have had further specialist training.
Avenue works to Relationships Scotland’s Policies and Procedures and nationally agreed standards. Where appropriate, all of our practitioners are also members of relevant governing bodies and work to their Codes of Ethics and Practice (eg COSCA, BACP, PTUK).
Avenue invests in training, supervision and staff development so that we can be sure we are offering the best possible services to families and individuals. You may be offered a session with a practitioner who is engaged in specialist training. This will be explained to you.
As Avenue is a charity, we have a Board of Trustees who oversee our work. Trustees are responsible for setting the strategy and ensuring that Avenue is working within the law and according to our charitable objects. Our Trustees are volunteers who come from a range of backgrounds, bring their expertise and support to Avenue. They meet quarterly and line-manage the CEO, who has overall operational responsibility for Avenue. The CEO is supported by the senior leadership team who all have key areas of responsibility but work together to ensure that Avenue is providing the best service possible to families and individuals.
