Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust are supporting a free, anonymous, online counselling and support service for children and young people experiencing emotional and mental health issues that has been launched by Healthy Minds.

Called Kooth, the service is provided by XenZone, an online mental health provider. It has been commissioned by NHS Bradford district and Craven clinical commissioning groups, as part of a wider partnership with the Care Trust and Healthy Minds.

Kooth is available for young people aged 11-18 living in Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven.  Children and young people have access to articles written by young people, can join forums to receive peer-to-peer support, access self-help materials and keep a daily journal.

Lisa Stead, Interim Service Manager for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services at Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust said: “This innovative online service enables children and young people to access the right help at the right time – including expert counselling and emotional wellbeing support all year round.  The regular forums cover a range of topics from exam stress and anxiety to eating disorders and grief.  I am delighted that local young people will be able to get help and support through this new service.”

Young people can also drop-in or book a one-to-one online ‘chat’ session with a trained counsellor between 12pm and 10pm on weekdays, and from 6pm and 10pm at weekends, all year round.

Dr Angela Moulson, GP and Clinical Lead for Mental Health and Wellbeing, NHS Bradford district and Craven Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) said: “Stigma is a common barrier for young people accessing mental health and wellbeing services. It often prevents people from getting the help that they need early on. The launch of this new digital service provides a safe, secure and accessible place for young people across Bradford district and Craven to access the support they need.”

Children and young people can sign up to the service via their laptop, tablet or smartphone and can access all the self-help materials, articles and forums linked to emotional wellbeing at www.kooth.com