Published on: 6th February 2017
Children and young people in North East Lincolnshire can now benefit from online mental health counselling, thanks to partnership working between LPFT and XenZone's innovative Kooth service.
Kooth provides free, year-round support from qualified professional counsellors, available to those aged 11 to 25 and all accessible via a PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone.
The anonymous, stigma-free service offers immediate support to users straight after registration, with no waiting lists.
Kooth will be fully integrated into the healthcare system and link closely with the Trust's North East Lincolnshire CAMHS team, with children and young people who need more specialist mental health support referred for counselling, to offer a seamless service.
Roni Swift, Divisional Manager for Specialist Services at LPFT said:
We are pleased to be working in partnership with XenZone. This service will benefit the children and young people of North East Lincolnshire immensely.
Lauren King, Commissioning Lead (Women’s and Children’s Health) at North East Lincolnshire Council, said:
We want to provide services that help young people manage their emotional wellbeing concerns at the earliest opportunity before these problems escalate resulting in the possible need for more specialist service intervention. Kooth is confidential, fast, simple, free to access and available at a time suited to the young people using it.
Kooth offers young people online chat and messaging with professional counsellors until 10pm - 365 days-a-year. They also have access to useful and practical articles, self-help documents and pre-moderated message board forums where they can discuss important issues relevant to them. The site is staffed by qualified and experienced Kooth counsellors.
XenZone’s Regional Service Manager in North East Lincolnshire, Kaljit Johal said:
We believe everyone should have free access to mental health services at the point of need. There are many children and young people who don’t need to access CAMHS, but need support for what may be short-term mental health problems. These may affect their psychological and emotional well-being. It’s hoped Kooth can help build resilience so that issues don’t manifest into adulthood.
The online counselling service has been commissioned following the Government’s Future in Mind Strategy and the development of the local transformation plan.
