NHS Western Isles commissions digital mental health service ‘Kooth’

• Free, confidential and easy to access to mental health support 
• Available to 11-25 year olds, with no referrals or thresholds to meet 

Kooth, the UK’s leading digital mental health platform, has been commissioned by NHS Western Isles to provide children and young people, aged between 11 and 25 with mental health support. Young people can sign up confidentially at kooth.com by selecting ‘Na h-Eileanan siar’ and setting up a personal account.  

This exciting new and innovative platform supports NHS Western Isles Child and Adolescent Mental health services (CAMHs) by addressing mental health and wellbeing needs before it needs to be escalated to statutory services. The aim is to access early intervention for mental health as soon as it is needed. On Kooth, children and young people in the Western Isles aged 11-25 will have 24-hour access to self-help materials as well as goal-setting and mood-tracking tools.  

By commissioning Kooth, NHS Western Isles, in partnership with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, is looking to ensure that all children and young people in the Western isles have safe, confidential and timely and easy access to digital emotional wellbeing and early intervention support.  Once registered, children and young people have immediate access to the mental health platform – there are no waiting lists or thresholds to meet. 

Kooth, a British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) accredited service, offers users peer-to-peer support via pre-moderated discussions. As well as, 24/7 access to curated, and pre-moderated, self-help content, including a magazine with wellbeing articles, personal experiences and tips from other young adults and the Kooth clinical team.  

In addition, the intuitive and easy-to-use digital mental health platform, includes access to one-on-one, anonymous counselling sessions with fully trained and qualified counsellors and emotional wellbeing practitioners. These services are available between 12noon and 10pm on weekdays, and between 6pm until 10pm on weekends, 365 days a year. The service is available from any desktop, mobile or tablet device. 

NHS Western Isles CAMHs Manager, Joan Tilley said: “We are grateful for the commissioning of this service, given the heightened level of stress our children, young people and families are experiencing throughout this challenging time of the COVID pandemic and the impact of its subsequent measures on mental health and wellbeing. Kooth can allow an accessibility to services which can reassure our young people help is at hand when it is needed.”   

Chief Clinical Officer at Kooth Plc, Dr Lynne Green, added: “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant effect on the mental health and wellbeing of young people, which means that easily accessible services that can assist children and young people with their mental health are needed now more than ever. Having access to a platform moderated by friendly and experienced emotional wellbeing practitioners can make all the difference to someone struggling with mental health issues. Kooth’s anonymous digital setting also helps break down barriers and unnecessary stigma often associated with getting mental health support. 

She added: “We encourage young people in the Outer Hebrides to make the most of the services available from the NHS Western Isles (NHS Eileanan Siar).  Whether that’s joining the live discussion forms or reading through the library of articles or speaking to our team of qualified counsellors. At Kooth, we are on hand to support and listen as and when it is needed.” 

Working with colleagues in Education, a number of information sessions have run for teachers and other support staff to ensure they are aware of the offer that Kooth can make.  

Senior Education Officer, Mary Clare Ferguson, said: “Comhairle nan Eilean Siar are committed to supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing and were delighted, through the support of NHS Western Isles, to be able to offer Kooth.com, the free online counselling and emotional wellbeing advice and support service providing young people aged 11-25 years with a safe and secure means of accessing help online. 

“Since Kooth.com was launched in the Western Isles on the 3rd December, more than 50 young people have accessed the service! This resource, along with a wide range of other universal, whole school and family approaches and specialised, targeted approaches centred around prevention and early intervention to promote positive mental health and wellbeing, will be introduced over the next few years as we continue to develop our policies and practices to support Mental Health and Wellbeing”.