Pilot project to support young people is under way

A PILOT project designed to help children and young people living in Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot cope with problems, including fallout from the pandemic, is now up and running.

The scheme will be able to use an anonymous digital counselling and support service designed to safeguard the mental health of children and young people.

In the wake of the pandemic, Swansea Bay University Health Board (SBUHB) has enlisted Kooth, a Uk-based digital mental health and well-being company, to pilot a free, welcoming and confidential way for young people aged 11-18 years to access emotional well-being and early intervention mental health support.

The pilot, which went live in Swansea Bay this week and will run for 12 months, has been partially funded by the Welsh Government.

Designed as a fully safeguarded and pre-moderated community, it will offer one-to-one, anonymous counselling sessions with fully trained and qualified, experienced counsellors and emotional wellbeing practitioners.

Once logged in, users can also visit a library of self-help magazine style content, created by their peers and mental health experts, and enjoy access to message boards.

There are no thresholds for support and no waiting lists.

The British Association of Psychotherapy and Counselling accredited service will be promoted in schools and is set to augment current school-based counselling services by being available outside of school hours and during school holidays.

Counselling sessions run 365 days a year, from midday to 10pm on weekdays, and from 6pm to 10pm at weekends, and can be booked in advance or accessed as drop-in instant text-based chats.

Siân Harrop-griffiths, SBUHB’S Director of Strategy, said: “The pandemic has presented society with a number of challenges, including the effect it’s had on the mental health of people of all ages.

“Twenty per cent of the Swansea Bay population are children and young people under the age of 18, and the referrals to services that support children and young people with emotional and mental health have increased.

“Young people have been telling us for some time that the way they seek out advice and support is changing, and there is a need to change our approach to the way we deliver services. The health board has purchased Kooth initially for 12 months. This will be an opportunity to test and evaluate outcomes of the service and provide this additional support at a time when young people are at their most vulnerable.”