Agenda item

The Committee considered a presentation of J Austin, Engagement Lead (County Durham, Sunderland and South Tyneside), Kooth plc. which contained information regarding QWELL: Digital Mental Health Services for Adults (for copy see file of minutes).

Members were advised that QWELL was a free, safe and anonymous service which could be accessed by anyone in County Durham, over the age of 18.  It consisted of self-help resources, community support and practitioner intervention where required, which could be through text based support or live chat sessions with Counsellors or Emotional Wellbeing Practitioners.  The service was accredited by the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy.

The service was operated 365 days of the year and practitioners available between 12-10pm weekdays and 6-10pm on weekends and adults did not need to be referred to use the service, but instead were invited to join if they fell within the cohort that the service was available to.

In response to a question from Councillor Stubbs, the Engagement Lead advised that the service was funded by Durham, Darlinigton and Teeside NHS Learning Disability Service.  NE

Councillor Kay advised that he worked with charity, Journey enterprises in Coundon and asked how the organisation could engage with the service and how a parent or carer of an adult with learning disabilities would benefit.

The Engagement Lead advised that that giving users the opportunity to speak to professionals and widely promoting the service, would hopefully increase awareness.  Users were able to sign up and access the service and guidance from Kooth plc. had been issued for users.

Councillor Hunt asked what safeguarding was in place if a practitioner suspected an immediate threat and the Engagement Lead advised that the practitioner would try to obtain personal information an in instances that the user did not respond to the request, there was an emergency plan which the clinical team would instigate.

Resolved

That the information within the presentation be noted.