• Online mental health and wellbeing service Kooth, has been commissioned by The Prince’s Trust to support Greater Manchester pilot
  • Recent data from Kooth shows how COVID-19 is affecting the mental health of children and young people 

London,UK. October 5th 2020 –  Kooth, the UK’s leading digital mental health provider, today announced that it has been commissioned by The Prince’s Trust to pilot its online counselling and emotional wellbeing service to support young people who engage with the Trust in in Greater Manchester. The new commission will enable all young people aged between 11 to 25 who seek support from The Prince’s Trust to access free and anonymous mental health support without the waiting lists and stigma that can sometimes be associated with seeking help.

The Prince’s Trust helps young people aged between 11 to 30, who are often vulnerable or need support to develop their self-esteem and confidence, helping them to achieve their goals and fulfil educational potential. Engaging Kooth to support the young people they work with in Greater Manchester will help improve the mental wellbeing of young people who turn to The Trust for support. 

Recent data from Kooth has found that the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted the mental health of children and young people (CYPs) across England. There has been a threefold increase in the number of CYPs presenting with issues around sadness, a 53% increase in CYPs presenting with anxiety/stress issues and 1 in 5 CYPs are presenting with issues concerning family relationships.

This new partnership with The Prince’s Trust builds on the existing digital offer in Greater Manchester.

Dr Sandeep Ranote, Medical Executive Lead for Mental Health, Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, said:

“We have all been living through a very challenging time and the coronavirus has undoubtably effected all of our stress and anxiety levels to some degree. However, the worries and pressures created by the virus have been especially challenging for children and young people. Kooth helps children and young people to look after their mental health and provides a safe space to get support and advice from their peers. While the online service existed before April, it was expanded during the pandemic. It is welcome news that with the involvement of The Prince’s Trust it will be used by even more young people.”

Kooth forms part of a wider selection of online support on offer in Greater Manchester – that is helping people to stay well and reducing the need for them to attend GP practices or hospitals. The support is available for those with existing mental health issues, as well as anyone who may be struggling due to social distancing and self-isolation restrictions. 

Dr Ranote also commented: “All our digital support is free to use, though we know barriers exist for those who don’t have access to technology. We’re continuing to work with our partners across the city-region to make sure all children and young people can access good mental health support regardless of their background.”

The new partnership with The Prince’s Trust will help reach many more young people across Greater Manchester who are increasingly vulnerable, as well as supporting 18 to 25 year olds who engage with the Trust that are facing increasing challenges with their mental health and wellbeing.

Matt Pilling, Head of Operations for The Prince’s Trust Greater Manchester, said: “Many of the young people we support at The Prince’s Trust are struggling with their wellbeing and mental health as they adjust to our ‘new normal’, so we’re thrilled to be partnering with Kooth to ensure young people in Greater Manchester get the support they need. Our research with YouGov, Young People in Lockdown, found that 43 per cent of young people say their anxiety levels have increased due to the pandemic and a third say they are overwhelmed by feelings of panic and anxiety on a daily basis. Kooth will help these overwhelmed people in Greater Manchester through this period of transition by bolstering their self-esteem and confidence levels; this is a crucial step towards ensuring a brighter future for young people.”

Dr. Lynne Green, Chief Clinical Officer, Kooth added: “We’re delighted that The Prince’s Trust has partnered with Kooth to support children and young people in Greater Manchester. We are seeing an increasing need for our service as children and young people struggle to adapt to uncertainty and change. The Kooth community allows them to support each other both through written content as well as through the live moderated discussions and our experienced counsellors will be available so that the youngsters continue to feel supported at all times.”  

Kooth, accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, allows CYPs to provide each other with free peer-to-peer support through moderated online discussion boards and the ability to contribute to self-help articles and content. Qualified counsellors are online seven days a week to provide those using the service with online counselling through chat-based messaging via drop-in or book one-to-one online chat sessions. Counselling sessions are available from 12-noon until 10pm on weekdays and from 6pm until 10pm on weekends, 365 days a year.

To find out more about how The Prince’s Trust are supporting young people in Greater Manchester, please visit their website. 

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About Kooth

 We are the UK’s leading online mental health platform. Our mission is to provide accessible and safe spaces for everyone to achieve better mental health. Our online platform is clinically robust and accredited to provide a range of therapeutic support and interventions. All our services are predicated on easy access to make early intervention and prevention a reality. 

 Our three services are:

  • Kooth: for children and young persons
  • Kooth Student: for university students
  • Qwell: for adults

Kooth is commissioned in 81% of the NHS’s clinical commissioning group areas across the country. It is a fully safeguarded and pre-moderated community with a library of peer and professional created content, alongside access to experienced online counsellors. There are no thresholds for support and no waiting lists. Currently, Kooth sees over 4,000 logins a day. 

Kooth Student is aimed at university students and is commissioned by three UK universities. 

Qwell operates across distinct locations and serves specific cohorts, including parents, teachers, victims of crime and those who have suffered from or continue to experience domestic violence. It is also offered as a benefit by a number of corporate organisations delivering anonymous digital mental health support services to employees.