Mental health support for Northumberland teachers left 'very anxious' during pandemic

NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Northumberland County Council have commissioned Kooth’s online counselling service for adults, Qwell, to provide free and anonymous support to any member of teaching staff.

Accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, it provides access to psycho-educational materials, online peer support communities, and live messaging with an experienced counsellor.

Users can drop in or book one-to-one online chat sessions with counsellors from noon until 10pm on weekdays and from 6pm until 10pm on weekends, 365 days a year.

The CCG’s senior head of commissioning for mental health, Kate O’Brien, said: “We recognise that staff who work in schools may be feeling very anxious at this time, as a result of Covid-19, and that they are under a lot of pressure. We hope that this website will provide the support and help they need.

“As a result of school staff being incredibly busy, we appreciate that they may struggle to make time for appointments and this may put them off seeking help and support for mental health issues.

“Qwell is easy to use and can be accessed anonymously at any time and in the comfort of peoples’ homes. We urge people to seek help when they need it and to use this valuable resource.”

Cath McEvoy-Carr, the county council’s executive director for adult and children’s services, added: “We are really pleased to be once again working in partnership with NHS Northumberland CCG on how we further support the mental health and wellbeing of those working in schools across Northumberland.

“The council is committed to helping teachers and school support staff get the help they need to improve their emotional wellbeing. By working together, we hope that more people are able to get more help where it is needed sooner.”

In June, we reported that the CCG, which buys and plans the county’s healthcare, had commissioned the Kooth service to provide support for 11 to 25-year-olds in the county as well.

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