Kooth provides young people in education across Lancashire and South Cumbria with access to digital mental health support

NHS Central Lancashire (CCG) has extended its partnership with digital mental health platform Kooth to include young adults aged 16 to 18 in education across the whole of Lancashire and South Cumbria. Available immediately, Kooth will provide access to safe and confidential digital mental health support outside of the normal 9-5.

Kooth has been ensuring children and young adults, aged 10 to 16, in the region have a welcoming place to seek non-judgemental professional mental health support since 2018.

Kooth is free and anonymous, with no waiting list or thresholds to qualify for support. They work alongside existing NHS services to provide a safe space for accessing therapeutic activities and content, a peer support community, and live text chat and messaging with Kooth's team of fully trained clinical and wellbeing practitioners. Once registered, Kooth can be accessed via any internet-connected device such as a laptop, smartphone or tablet.

Janet Ince, Transformation Manager at NHS Central Lancashire CCG explained:

"After the successes and increased uptake of ‘Kooth’ digital mental health and wellbeing service for 10 to16 year olds across Lancashire and South Cumbria, we are now pleased to offer the  ‘Kooth’ digital service to young people in education aged 16 to 18 where they too can access a range of support tools, a peer network and anonymous and confidential online counselling service. The service commissioned by the NHS, and so provided free for our students, can be accessed by providing a college or university email address within the Lancashire and South Cumbria area.”

Dr Lynne Green, Chief Clinical Officer at Kooth commented:

“It’s essential for students to prioritise their health and wellbeing, especially at exam time. However, it’s not always easy to reach out and ask for help. This is where a digital platform, such as Kooth, can help. Having access to a safe and confidential space to seek early intervention services that are anonymous and safe, can help combat the stigma and prevent certain problems escalating.

“We’re proud to be working with NHS Central Lancashire CCG to ensure students aged 16 to 18 have access to the support they need, when and where they need it. Our team of experienced clinical practitioners and professional counsellors provide mental health support at a range of levels. No matter the issue or situation, Kooth is here to help."

Kooth provides counselling and wellbeing support including one-on-one sessions with fully-trained and qualified practitioners. They run from midday to 10pm on weekdays and from 6pm to 10pm on the weekend. Appointments can be booked in advance or accessed via a drop-in text-based chat.

In addition, self-help articles, forums, and discussion boards are also available - with content that is appropriate for the relevant age groups and is moderated and approved by medical experts. Kooth users can keep an online journal and monitor their wellbeing via an interactive goal tracker.